A containership has become the latest vessel to be targeted by suspected pirates off the southern coast of the Philippines.
The Ocean Kingdom (built 2000) wasattacked by armed men in two speedboats 25 nm east of Sibago Island, southeast of Zamboanga on Tuesday afternoon.
Reports in the local media said a gunfight ensued between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel and the suspected pirates.
The Antigua Barbuda-flagged vessel is said to have returned to the port of Zamboanga after the incident. There were no reports of any injuries to the crew.
In late November a Japanese-owned capesize bulker was targeted by elements of the Abu Sayyaf Group while sailing off the Philippines.
The attempt against the 179,192-dwt Kumiai Shagang (built 2011) took place as it sailed between the islands of Sabah and Languyan.
Details of that incident come in an alert by the Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre.
However, ReCAAP has yet to report any details of the latest incident involving the Ocean Kingdom as TradeWinds went to press.
Since March 2016, there have been nine actual incidents and two attempted incidents in the area, with 44 crew abducted and 11 crew still held captive.
ReCAAP said most of the incidents are claimed by the terrorist group of the Philippines Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
