All crew have been reported safe after pirates targeted another vessel in the Gulf of Aden as the security threat there rises.
Piracy reporting body Maritime Security Centre — Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) issued an advisory notice following an approach by multiple skiffs to the 19,800-dwt product tanker Wawasan Emerald (built 2010) at 1042 UTC on Tuesday.
The Panama-flagged vessel was passing through the maritime security transit corridor (MSTC) at the time, about 40km south of Yemen, according to security consultancy Ambrey.
The pirate boats approached to within 0.5 nautical miles (0.9km) of the Aurora Tankers-operated handysize.
Aurora's parent company IMC Industrial Group told TradeWinds it was aware of the incident.
"We are managing the situation. The safety of our crew is our utmost concern," it said.
"The vessel and crew are all safe and proceeding to her destination now."
Ambrey had earlier said: "Ladders were identified on board the skiffs."
Guards on board
"The vessel is displaying via AIS that it has embarked armed guards," it added.
Dryad Global said six skiffs with five people on each were involved. No weapons were reported and it is not known whether any warning shots were fired.
The vessel's last AIS reading shows it in the Red Sea on 23 February en route from Yanbu in Saudi Arabia to Singapore.
Maritime security company LSS-Sapu told TradeWinds piracy has become an increasing problem again in the Gulf of Aden region this year, after a quieter period in 2019.
The latest incident is the third in a matter of days.
Merchant vessels had been warned over the weekend to exercise extreme caution after a pirate group was spotted off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden.
The incident occurred at 0748 UTC on Saturday between Yemen and Djibouti, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Cosco Wallem bulker approached
The 63,000-dwt bulker CL Lindy (built 2017), operated by Cosco Wallem Shipmanagement, reported a suspicious approach by 11 skiffs with four to five people on board.
Ladders were also sighted on the boats.
Guards on board the bulker fired warning flares to deter the attack, while the UKMTO sent helicopters to the scene.
The ship was later reported to be safe.
The news followed a suspicious approach towards a cargoship in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia last Thursday.
Dryad said this was the fifth such incident in the region this year.
"Thus far, there is no evidence to suggest that these incidents are connected with intended acts of piracy and maritime crime," it added.
"Whilst the increase in incident reporting is significant...this area also is home to a significant naval presence and it is well known by those who fish these waters and those who would potentially engage in maritime crime activity that the embarking of armed personnel is a common practice."
It said: "It remains unlikely that there is a sophisticated pirate action group operational within the Gulf of Aden that possesses the necessary capability and intent to pirate a vessel underway."
