A Greek-managed cargo ship was boarded by suspected pirates off Yemen on Thursday in the latest sign of a sharp revival in piracy across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.
Initial reports from the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean described the incident as a hijacking, but subsequent UK Maritime Trade Operations updates indicate the attackers failed to seize the vessel.
The ship has been identified as the 24,073 dwt Glamor, a 1998-built, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged handysize/general cargo vessel managed by Greece’s Dolphin Seatrade. The 154 m ship was sailing from Salalah towards Djibouti.
UKMTO initially received a report at 0900 UTC that an unidentified skiff was approaching a merchant vessel around 98 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukalla. The vessel was subsequently boarded around 38 nautical miles southwest of Balhaf.
The crew mustered in the citadel while the attackers came aboard. UKMTO later confirmed that the intruders were unable to take control, disembarked and the Glamor resumed its voyage. All crew were reported safe. Assets assigned to the European Union’s Operation Atalanta are investigating.
The attack adds to an increasingly worrying resurgence of Somali piracy. Eight successful hijackings have been recorded since April, with pirates again demonstrating an ability to operate far offshore, increasingly using captured dhows and other vessels as motherships.
The regional security picture is becoming still more complicated. The boarding occurred as Houthi forces advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and seized Mokha, bringing them closer to Bab al-Mandab.
