The US Navy Liaison Office (MARLO) in Bahrainhas issued an alert reporting an attack by two skiffs on a merchant vessel inthe area.
Theyare reported to have each had 2-3 men onboard, some wearing masks. Ladders weresighted and the skiffs are said to have paralleled the vessel’s course andspeed.
Mediareports from Bangladesh suggest the ship involved may have been the 27,586-dwt bulkerCrystal Gold (built 1986).
The attack is reported to have taken place on orabout 09:00 local time in position 22° 28'N, 060° 51.5'E about 145 nm northeast of Muscat.
Theship was reportedly en route from Chittagong to Bandar Abbas, Iran when theincident took place. It managed to avoid the pirates and sail into Pakistaniwaters.
Vessels in the vicinity are urged to operatewith a heightened level of security and report any suspicious activity to MSCHOA,UKMTO or MARLO.
“Suspiciousapproaches involving no pirate activity continue to be reported across theArabian Sea and Gulf of Aden,” said UK-based security consultants AKE Maritime.
“However vessels in the area should remainvigilant and in compliance with up to date best management practices asopportunistic attacks remain a possibility despite the overall reduction inattacks over the past 18 months.”
