Pirates Action Group foiled in attack on a vessel in the Somali Basin
Pirate Action Group attacks have recently concentrated on the Northern Arabian Sea. This does not indicate that there is any relative safety nearer to the Somali coast. Shipping companies and Masters cannot assume that the far reach of piracy would result in less attacks nearer to Somalia, subsequently, vigilance, appropriate security measures planning, and the implementation of BMP3 remain necessary.
On March 6 at 0901 UTC, a vessel was reported coming under attack by a pirate action group (PAG) consisting of 1 mothership and 1 skiff in position 0724N 05150E, approximately 505nm Northeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. The position in the Somali Basin is close to 127nm from the nearest point of land. The PAG is reported to have fired upon the vessel, however, the vessel successfully evaded the hijack attempt.
PAGs have been in operation in the areas for some time and, wherever possible, are reported here to ensure that seafarers may increase the situational awareness through information dissemination. The latest OCEANUS
Live 'Horn of Africa Piracy Activity Update' can be seen
here.
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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