A number of pirate skiffs that surrounded a crude oil tanker in the latest incident reported in the Arabian Sea, were repelled by warning shots fired by the ship’s crew.
Asia’s piracy watchdog, ReCAAP, said the incident, which involved the 2017-built tanker Nord Lavender, occurred southeast of Bab Al Mendeb Strait on December 13, 2018.
ReCAAP said 15-20 skiffs approached the Philippines-flagged tanker at high speed and surrounded the vessel. There were about four to five persons in each skiff. The 74,260 dwt tanker fired warning shots and the skiffs dispersed.
There were no reports of injuries to the ship’s crewmembers, and no items were stolen in the incident, ReCAAP said.
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