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A merchant vessel was illegally boarded by armed personnel off Yemen on Wednesday, prompting a fresh security warning from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization as another ship reported a suspicious approach in nearly the same area just hours later.
According to UKMTO, the first incident occurred approximately 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen. Initial reports described a suspicious small craft approaching the vessel, but a subsequent investigation found that four armed individuals aboard the craft successfully boarded the ship.
In its latest update, UKMTO reclassified the incident as an illegal boarding, saying the unauthorized personnel caused damage to the vessel's bridge and several adjacent compartments before departing. The crew retreated to the ship's citadel and were reported safe.
The attackers were reported to have been armed with an RPG. After leaving the vessel, the small craft remained active in the area, raising concerns that it could pose a threat to other shipping.
Just over two hours later, UKMTO issued a second advisory after the master of a tanker reported another suspicious approach roughly 85 nautical miles south of Balhaf.
The tanker reported that a small craft with four persons on board approached to within about two nautical miles off its port quarter before turning away and proceeding south. The crew was reported safe, and the vessel continued its voyage.
The two incidents occurred in the same area of the Gulf of Aden, where merchant ships have continued to face threats from armed small craft despite an overall easing of regional tensions elsewhere.
The incidents also come one day after the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) reported no confirmed maritime security incidents during the previous 48-hour reporting period, although it warned that the threat from hostile small-craft activity in the Gulf of Aden remained. JMIC said regional instability continues to sustain the risk of suspicious approaches, even as southwest monsoon conditions reduce the ability of skiffs to operate far offshore.
Authorities are investigating both incidents. UKMTO advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity immediately.
