Admiral Jonathan Greenert,
the chief of naval operations, told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday
that the problem has emerged over the past several months in the
northwest portion of the Gulf of Oman, including off the coast of
Pakistan.
Greenert said he would call
it an “increasing trend” but not as severe as the surge in piracy that
grabbed worldwide attention a few years ago with the commandeering of
merchant ships off the coast of Somalia.
The admiral said the reasons
for increased piracy in the Gulf of Oman need to be investigated. He
said he is unsure whether it represents a migration of Somali pirates.