UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported that a group of pirates targeted two separate commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, July 1.
UKMTO said that four pirates on a skiff initially boarded a tanker but abandoned it after the crew sought refuge in the citadel.
This tanker was boarded 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen. The crew said the pirates were armed with rocket-propelled grenades.
The e crew conducted an inspection after the pirates fled and noticed that the boarding ladders used by the perpetrators were still attached to the ship. Signs of damage were also detected in the bridge and in nearby compartments.
UKMTO said the four pirates attempted to board another vessel of unidentified type later that same day but were again unsuccessful as the targeted vessel was able to manoeuvre evasively.
The skiff carrying the pirates then abandoned their pursuit of the second ship. The pirates’ identities and whereabouts are unknown.
UKMTO
