• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
A merchant vessel was subjected to an illegal boarding 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen, by four individuals armed with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and small arms. The crew remained unharmed after successfully taking refuge in the security citadel.
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) classified the incident as an effective assault after confirming that unauthorized personnel managed to board the unidentified vessel, causing material damage to the bridge and several adjacent cabins before fleeing.
The attack began at 07:15 UTC, at which point the Company Security Officer (CSO) reported that multiple small boats with armed men began approaching the vessel.
During the assault, the captain of a third vessel sailing nearby alerted via the emergency radio channel about alleged gunfire in the area, information that naval authorities are keeping under investigation.
Given the imminent intrusion, the sailors of the affected unit activated emergency protocols to take refuge in the vessel's armored safe room. The assailants, after remaining on board for some time, abandoned the vessel in a small boat and fled in an unknown direction.
The UKMTO warned that the suspicious boat remains active in the area and poses a latent danger to commercial navigation in the nearby Gulf of Aden.
A few hours after the assault, 85 nautical miles south of Balhaf, a second incident was reported on the same maritime route. The captain of a tanker reported that a small, low-freeboard vessel with an orange interior, occupied by four crew members, harassed him by approaching within a critical distance of two nautical miles on the port quarter.
In the latter case, the suspects abandoned their intentions and retreated south, allowing the tanker to continue its journey safely. International authorities have initiated corresponding investigations to identify those responsible for the incidents.
Meanwhile, maritime control organizations issued a formal recommendation to all merchant fleets to transit the coastal region of Yemen with extreme caution and immediately report any unusual activity to the UKMTO.
