Saturday May 25, 2024
The European Union Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta helped protect shipping from piracy attacks.Photo: EU Navfor
Global maritime hotspots around the Red Sea, northern Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and East Africa experienced six incidents at sea that were reported during the last week of April.
This is according to a global MS Risk/Price Forbes maritime security report that showed that other maritime hotspots such as the Gulf of Guinea and east and south-east Asian waters had reported no incidents for the period April 25-30.
The report warned that the vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and East Africa, where international naval task forces are operational, remain at high risk of piracy. Vessels also face the risk of damage due to ongoing conflict in the region.
According to an advisory for the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, “the waters of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somalia, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean remain a high-risk area and heightened vigilance is recommended”. It added that the risk to all commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea remained high.
“Tensions in the region remain heightened and further attacks on merchant shipping in the region are highly likely to occur in the coming weeks,” the advisory warned.
It comes after a United States Maritime Administration warning in March that recommended vessels turn off their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders to reduce the risk of being targeted, particularly where the threat from Houthi forces is the greatest.
The advisory also cautioned about the continued threat of Iran attempting to illegally board and seize commercial vessels in the region, highlighting several incidents last year.
“Possible attacks targeting commercial shipping in the region could include deliberate sinkings, damage to vessels or seizure of vessels; hazards to safe navigation in shipping lanes; helicopter attacks; aerial threat and indirect fire risks from drones, missiles, ship and shore-launched rocket systems; helicopter-borne capture parties; small craft attacks and capture parties; sea drones and sea mines; state boardings and seizures (by Iran or other state actors); non-state actor boarding and capture of vessels (by Houthis and other non-state actors); pirate attacks and hijacking by Somali-based pirates,” the report warned.
According to Defenceweb, attacks on shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen continue on a weekly basis, while Somali pirates are taking advantage of the situation around the Horn of Africa to launch hijacking attempts.
The European Union Naval Force says there could be two or more pirate groups operating off the Somalia coastline, including the semi-autonomous Puntland region.