Merchant vessel attacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea only 85nm off Oman coast
On 27 February, at 0534 UTC, a merchant vessel, a bulk carrier, was reported as coming under attack by 1 skiff in position 2029N 06008E, approximately 85nm off the Oman coast in the Arabian Sea. The skiff, with 7 pirates onboard, fired small arms; however, the vessel employed anti-piracy measures and managed to evade the hijack attempt. The Pirate Action Group continues to operate in the area.
Vessels are reminded that the coalition forces' warships may not be in the vicinity of a pirate attack, subsequently, it is emphasised that seafarers can greatly reduce their chances of being pirated if they follow precautions as recommended in the Best Management Practices, increasing speed and carrying out evasive manoeuvres is a proven deterrent to piracy attacks.
Vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating in the vicinity of the reported position of the attack and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. Additionally, registration of vessel movement with MSC(HOA) prior to transiting the region is recommended.
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Any suspicious activity should be reported to UKMTO in Dubai in the first instance (UKMTO@eim.ae or Telephone+971 50 552 3215) and on entering the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) bound by Suez,78E and 10S.
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