Oil Tanker Attacked With RPG in Southern Red Sea
EU NAVFOR has confirmed that earlier today, 31 May 2017, a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker (pictured) was approached and fired upon by three men in a skiff in the southern Bab-Al-Mandeb (BAM) Strait.
The vessel’s master reported that his vessel, Muskie, was fired upon by three rocket-propelled grenades before the assailants, also carrying guns, broke off the attack. The tanker is now safe and en route to her next port. Other reports state that embarked armed guards returned fire. Some damage to the vessel superstructure was sustained but not serious enough to cause concern. No injuries to the crew was been reported as non-essential crew had mustered in the citadel following raising of the alarm.
The incident took place in the BAM – a sea area not traditionally used by Somali-based pirates to attack merchant ships. EU NAVFOR is currently liaising with naval force partners in the region in order to gather more information and assess the exact nature of the incident.
Speaking about the incident, EU NAVFOR Spokesperson, Commander Jacqui Sherriff, stated: “EU NAVFOR has not received any information that confirms that piracy-related tripwires/equipment were observed during the attack.
This indicates that the incident is more probably related to the continuing instability at sea off the coast of Yemen. That said, masters of merchant vessels transiting the piracy high risk area are reminded to remain vigilant, adhere to Best Management Practices (BMP) and to report any suspicious activity at sea to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre.”
A similiar attack occurred only 4 nautical miles southeast of today's incident position in the BAM in October 2016. A Spain-flagged oil tanker, Galicia Spirit, was fired upon with an RPG by a skiff. which was able to continue passage at the time. Whilst the area is not considered a traditional target for piracy, a second attack in the vicinity raises further concern for the shipping industry as earlier hijacks and attacks have occurred off the coast of Somalia. Military and security experts have been loathe to state that Somali piracy has returned, however, this incident highlights the dangers faced by seafarers and the concerns of a return to an increase in pirate attacks.
Original Source: EUNAVFOR
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