An advisory incident report indicates that a vessel was aggressively approached by a small craft, closing in to a distance of 400 meters. This incident occurred 70NM Northwest of Boosaaso, Somalia.
The small craft, powered by a single large engine, had five individuals on board, four of whom were seen holding AK47 type weapons. None of the individuals were in uniform. The vessel's Armed Security Team (AST) fired two warning shots, causing the small craft to retreat.
The vessel's Master confirmed all crew members are safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.
This is the fifth possibly Somali piracy-related incident reported in the area this month. A similar incident involving armed personnel on board small craft engaging a vessel's AST occurred on the 27 January, in addition to the hijacking of Sri Lankan Fishing Trawler LORENZO PUTHA-4 840NM Southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. The Liberian-flagged, UAE owned and operated, Bulk Carrier LILA NORFOLK (IMO: 9281700) was boarded approximately 460NM East of Eyl, Somalia on January 4.
There have been at least nine confirmed incidents likely involving Somali pirates reported since the beginning of November 2023, as well as multiple unconfirmed reports of dhows being hijacked or stolen. In addition, the UKMTO issued a warning on 15 December 2023 indicating the presence of a Somali Pirate Action Group (PAG) operating in the area off Puntland and the northern Arabian Sea. This resurgence is significant and raises concerns about the reemergence of piracy threats in the region.
Further deterioration of regional stability, related to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict and Houthi attacks on international shipping may in part be a cause of the recent resurgence.
The Castor Vali team will continue to provide updates and analysis to support informed decision-making in navigating these waters.
Vessels in the area are advised to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activities to UKMTO.
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