During the end of September, piracy has shown its persistence in the WIO despite current UE and international security programmes being hold throughout the region. 2 suspicious approaches were signalled in Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman.
According to B2, on Thursday September 25th, an unidentified skiff with three armed personnel on board as well as visible boarding equipment targeted a vessel enroute near the Ormuz Strait. The skiff approached closely, up to 10 meters, before the vessel managed to escape.
The next day, in the Aden Gulf, at 2020, 9 rapid skiffs approached a bulker-carrier, all coming from different directions. Security measures were launched on board. The increase of speed, the start of the alarm, of the fire hoses and the fire of 12 rocket flares did not change the skiffs’ intention, which continued on their track. Only the warning shots of the security team, put into alert, managed to stop the approach 30 meters away from board. Due to the darkness, neither weapons nor boarding equipment were noticed on the coming skiffs.
These two attempts both stress the importance of sustainable counter-measures. Piracy in the WIO is a social endeavour that needs to be tackled on the short, mid and long term. As classical security operations, such as EUNAVFOR or NATO Ocean Shield operation, are to come to an end by 2016, emphasis must be given on a functional regional security framework, capable of restoring order. Such a topic will be discussed during the coming Counter-Piracy Week to be hold during the end of October in Dubai.
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