Somali Pirates: Small Oil Tanker Taken in Gulf of Aden

EUNavFor Photo

Reported as MV JUBBA XX PIRATED IN THE NORTHERN INDIAN OCEAN:

Late on the morning of 16 July, it was reported by the owners that the MV JUBBA XX, a laden tanker, had been pirated in the northern Indian Ocean, on her regular route from the United Arab Emirates to the port of Berbera, Somalia.

On the morning of 17 July, the vessel was located by a Maritime Patrol aircraft 100 nautical miles north-west of Socotra Island, heading to the northern Somali coast. Little information is available at present but it is reported that 9 suspected Somali pirates are on board MV JUBBA XX.

Hijack Location

The MV JUBBA XX is a UAE owned and flagged oil tanker, deadweight of 4831 tonnes, with a crew of 16 (1 Sri Lankan, 5 Indian, 3 Bangladesh, 1 Sudanese, 1 Myanmar, 1 Kenyan and 4 Somali). There is no information on the condition of the crew and the vessel was not registered with MSCHOA at the time of the pirating. EUNAVFOR continues to monitor the situation.

NATO report:

JULY 17, 2011
Latitude: 1348 N Longitude: 05125 E
Alert Number 203 / 2011
Alert Type: HIJACKED VESSEL
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---
At 0742UTC / 16 JUL 11 / a Merchant Vessel was reported hijacked approximately 220nm off of SOCOTRA, Vessels position as of 0813 UTC 17 Jul is 13 48 N 051 25 E
***The vessel was hijacked***
The Pirate Attack Group is still in the area.

In case you have forgotten, here's the EU list of ships being held by pirates (you can get your own copy here):
Pirated Vessel 18.07
UPDATE: Some more food for thinking about pirate success garnered from IMB's Live Piracy Report:

275-11 16.07.2011: 0340 UTC: Posn: 13:36.3N - 050:17.3E, Gulf of Aden.
Six pirates in a skiff chased a bulk carrier underway. Master raised alarm, crew proceeded to citadel and security guards on board fired a hand flare. The pirates continued to chase the ship and closed to a distance of 300 metres from the ship. The security guards fired a warning shot upon sighting guns, RPG and ladder's on the skiff. The pirates aborted the attempted attack and moved away. Incident reported to the warship.
***
273-11 13.07.2011: 0717 UTC: Posn: 12:44N – 043:18E, Bab el Mandeb straits, Red Sea. Pirates armed with guns in two skiffs chased and approached a chemical tanker underway. Master mustered crew and ship’s security team was deployed to the bridge wings. On sighting the security team, the pirates aborted the attack and moved away.

Is there a lesson to be learned?

Something like, "Low, slow and unarmed is no way to go through pirate waters?"