Incident Alert  – Suspicious Approach on a Vessel in the Southern Red Sea Shots Fired

Incident Alert  – Suspicious Approach on a Vessel in the Southern Red Sea Shots Fired
Date: 16 January 2024 0045 UTC Approx Position: 13° 45’ N 42° 39’ E

Location: Approximately 57nm Northwest of Assab, Eritrea

Incident Details

UKMTO has received a report of an incident approximately 57nm Northwest of Assab, Eritrea. The Master reported a small craft circling his vessel. The embarked Armed Security Team (AST) fired warning shots and the small craft departed. The vessel and crew are safe and proceeding to the next port. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.

Suspicious Approach on a Vessel in the Southern Red Sea Shots Fired
Suspicious Approach on a Vessel in the Southern Red Sea Shots Fired

Comment

It is unclear if the small craft was linked in any way to the Houthi and whether it was acting aggressively toward the commercial vessel, but at a time of heightened tension it is likely the AST acted proactively to send a warning to the craft to stay away.

Analysis

It is possible the vessel involved in this incident was involved in a local Pattern of Life (POL) encounter but alternatively, there may have been a more serious motive behind the small craft’s circling of the ship. What is clear is the positive action taken by the AST prevented the situation from escalating into a potential attack and proved the importance of complying with BMP 5 counter-piracy measures and the value to commercial vessels in having an AST embarked during the current situation in the Red Sea.