According to maritime authorities, a cargo ship off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden was attacked in unclear circumstances, reports Global News.
Pirate attacks
The Gulf of Aden is a crucial route for global trade, and has seen a number of Somali pirate attacks that have mostly stopped in recent years.
Who claimed responsibility?
According to the organization, “Vessel and crew are safe.” No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Alert overlooked?
The ship ended up off the small port city of Nishtun in Yemen’s far east after coming under attack early Saturday morning, according to an alert from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization that is overseen by Britain’s Royal Navy.
The U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, which patrols Mideast waterways, said it was aware of the incident, but declined to comment further.
About the vessel
Ambrey Intelligence, a British private maritime intelligence firm, identified the vessel attacked as the MV Hasan, a cargo ship flagged out of Sierra Leone that had been on its way to Salalah, Oman.
The Hasan is registered to Oasis Shipping Co., a Marshall Islands-registered firm with an address linking it to a Beirut address for Barhoum Maritime Co.
The eastern part of Yemen where the ship was attacked is held by the country’s internationally recognized government.
Boats scared off
Later Saturday, the U.K. maritime organization reported up to 20 small boats swarmed toward a tanker southeast of Aden. Ambrey said an armed security force on that ship apparently scared off the boats. It wasn’t immediately clear who was on those boats.
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Source: Global News
