From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 10, 2024
UK maritime body reports on failed hijacking east of Yemen’s Aden
DUBAI – The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization says it has received a report of a failed hijacking attempt of a vessel 195 nautical miles east of Yemen’s Aden.
The vessel’s master reports being approached by a small craft carrying five or six armed people with ladders.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched drone and missile attacks on shipping in and around the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to show support for the Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack.
Maritime sources say pirates may be encouraged by a relaxation of security or may be taking advantage of the chaos caused by attacks on shipping by the Houthis.
After firing on the vessel, the people in the small craft were forced to abort their approach when the security team on the vessel returned fire, the UKMTO reports.
The vessel and its crew are reported to be safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call, it says.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
