End of October Somali pirate attacks reported by the
NATO Shipping Center:
NSC 7/11 - INDICATION OF MOTHERSHIP 02/11/2011 08:30 17.5 57.43 Suspicious Activity NSC 7/11 - INDICATION OF MOTHERSHIP
***UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE***
This mother ship is now heading back to the Somali coast and is assessed as no longer being a threat.
NSC 8/11 - WARNING: APPROACH 01/11/2011 09:35 -1.35 52.35 Approached NSC 8/11 - WARNING: APPROACH There has been a suspicious approach on a vessel in position 0121S 05221E at 0936Z on 1st Nov. The vessel was approached by two skiffs. On board security repelled the attack and the vessel evaded hi-jacking. VESSEL IS SAFE and continuing on its original journey.
Additionally the master saw a possible mother ship in position 0130S 05226E (yet to be confirmed).
Vessels transiting in or around this area should proceed with extreme caution.
NSC 6/11 - WARNING: ATTACK 31/10/2011 20:30 -8.17 46.1 Attacked NSC 6/11 - WARNING: ATTACK A Vessel came under fire from an unknown number of skiffs in position 0810S 04606E at 2028Z on 31/10/11. Vessel was fired upon aft of bridge bulkhead, port and starboard side accommodation and portholes. On board security team returned fire and after 30 mins pirates left the vicinity of the vessel.
VESSEL IS SAFE. Master is unable to give any further details as it was dark at the time of the incident.
Vessels transiting in or around this area should exercise extreme caution.
NSC 5/11 - WARNING: APPROACH 31/10/2011 14:15 -2.38 49.48 Approached NSC 5/11 - WARNING: APPROACH A vessel was attacked by three white skiffs in position 0223S 04929E at 1415Z on 31/10/11. Vessel protection detachment was onboard aboard and managed to evade hijacking. VESSEL IS SAFE.
Vessels transiting through this area are to take extreme caution.
Alert 234/2011 31/10/2011 11:50 12 45.55
Pirated Alert 234/2011 A piracy alert has been raised by the Maritime Security Centre. Date of alert : October 31, 2011 Alert type : Attempted Attack Location : [234] GULF OF ADEN 1200N 04533E Latitude : 12 00 N Longitude : 045 33 E
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---
***This vessel has been hijacked***
At 1152 UTC / 31 OCT 11 / a merchant vessel has been hijacked by 1 skiff in position 1200N 04533E
The Pirate action group is still in the area.
***
Alert 233/2011 30/10/2011 00:55 -4.33 43.68 Attacked Alert 233/2011
A piracy alert has been raised by the Maritime Security Centre. Date of alert : October 30, 2011 Alert type : Attempted Attack Location : [233] Somali Basin- Indian Ocean 0420S 04341E Latitude : 04 20 S Longitude : 043 41 E
---WARNING WARNING WARNING---
Alert number 233 / 2011. At 1254 UTC / 30 OCT 11 / a merchant vessel was reported under attack by 1 white skiff with 4 or 5 POB in position 0420S 04341E.
***This vessel managed to evade hijack***
***Vessel is SAFE***
***The Pirate action group is still in the area.***
It is believed that the hijacked vessel is a Greek-owmed chemical tanker nabbed by the pirates as it exited the Red Sea following a transit through the Suez Canal, according to this
Reuters report:
Somali pirates have hijacked a Greek-owned chemical tanker with 22 people on board in the Gulf of Aden and are taking the vessel towards the Somali coast, a regional maritime expert and a pirate said on Tuesday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged Liquid Velvet was seized on Monday in the Gulf of Aden en
route to India. The 11,599 DWT vessel is owned by the Greek firm Elmira Tankers, according to the firm's website.
***
A pirate who gave his name as Khalif confirmed the attack.
"We have hijacked the tanker and it is due to anchor near the shores of Garad," Khalif told Reuters by telephone from the pirate haven of Dhanane.
Company fleet
website.
The current piracy situation reminds me of the IRA statement, now a terrorist mantra, after the Brighton hotel bombing - “You have to be lucky all the time. We only have to be lucky once.” I suppose a lull is just that to the pirates, they'll get something eventually - and they did.
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