According to Reuters, another tanker was attacked by gunmen in a speedboat and targeted with missiles, in the Red Sea, off Yemen’s coast.
In particular, Global maritime risk management expert Ambrey said a Marshall islands-flagged chemical tanker reported an “exchange of fire” with a speedboat 55 nautical miles (102 km) off Hodeidah, saying the boat had fired as it approached. It said the tanker was targeted by three missiles, Reuters reports.
Furthermore, as reported by Reuters, a second vessel was also approached by the speedboat in the same area but was not attacked, Ambrey and other sources said.
The continuous attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea is an alarming trend, which has been troubling the industry, with another occurring on Tuesday, north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, targeting a commercial tanker with a rocket, which resulted in a fire. Previously, on 26th November, a tanker with phosphoric acid was taken over by armed persons in the Gulf of Aden.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has expressed concern over the series of attacks, stating that any attack on commercial shipping is contrary to international maritime law, including laws which protect the freedom of navigation.
Meanwhile, major industry associations BIMCO, ICS, CLIA, IMCA, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO and OCIMF have come together to publish security guidance applicable to navigating in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
