Insights

(Image Credit: EU NAVFOR Op Atlanta)

An update on recent incidents in the Gulf of Oman

Since May 2017, UKMTO has issued advisories for four incidents in the Gulf of Oman, three off Bandar-e-Jask, Iran and one 100nm east of Muscat, Oman:

7 May 2017: Navios Hios approached by three skiffs 12nm SW of Bandar-e-Jask. Possible mother vessel seen in vicinity. Ladders sighted. Evasive manouvres taken and skiffs departed. Iranian Navy deployed a vessel to investigate. 

8 May 2017: MV reported suspicious approach in position 25:31.24N - 057:32.48E, approx 14nm SW of Bandar-e Jask, Iran - Gulf of Oman. Four Skiffs approached; long hook but no weapons sighted. 

1 June 2017: Six suspected pirates armed with guns in a skiff approached and fired upon a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, MT Navig8 Providence, underway at 0430 UTC in position 23:32.4N - 060:26.3E, around 110nm East of Muscat, Oman - Gulf of Oman. Alarm raised, non-essential crew retreated to the citadel. Speed increased, evasive manoeuvres conducted and embarked AST fired warning shots resulting in the skiffs moving away. A mother vessel was seen in the vicinity. Embarked AST reported sighting a ladder on the skiff. Vessel is safe. Counter-piracy forces coordinated a response to search for the skiff. 

11 July 2017: Container ship reported approached at speed by 1 yellow metal-hulled skiff at 1120 UTC in position 25:31.08N - 057:25.71E, around 21nm SW of Bandar-e-Jask, Iran in Gulf of Oman. Two POB with weapons sighted. Skiff approached vessel midships to within 1 cable. AST fired three warning shots resulting in skiff breaking off approach. Vessel and crew safe. 

The incident reported on 7 May was assessed by UKMTO to be normal pattern of life activity. New information, released by the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC), also suggests that the incident involving the Navios Hios on 8 May was a ‘mere understanding’.

According to a report by OceanusLive.org, IMB quoted the Iranian Maritime Safety and Marine Protection Directorate claiming that the “alleged piracy situation” between the Navios Hios and an Iranian fishing vessel off the coast of Chabahar, Iran, was resolved. The Iranian fishing vessel had reportedly laid fishing nets in the area and had made an approach toward the ship in order to request she divert her route so as to prevent her from destroying the nets as she made transit through them. An Iranian naval patrol vessel was immediately deployed to the scene and admonished the fishing vessel for having laid fishing nets in the international shipping route. 

The most recently reported incident on 11 July, which occurred within 6nm of the approaches on 7 and 8 May, is also assessed as highly unlikely to be Somali piracy related as only 2 persons were sighted onboard the sole approaching skiff. Furthermore, the northern approach from the Gulf of Oman into the Strait of Hormuz has never been a traditional Somali pirate operating area. 

Nonetheless, the attack on 1 June involving the tanker Navig8 Providence 100nm east of Muscat is still being treated as being potentially piracy-related. In a statement, EU NAVFOR confirmed that the incident took place and that “there was an exchange of small arms fire between the suspected pirates and the maritime security team onboard”. Whilst almost all Somali pirate attacks in 2017 have occurred in the Gulf of Aden or in close proximity to the eastern Somali coastline, this incident and the attack on the CPO Korea 300nm off the eastern Somali coastline in 2016 are evidence that PAGs retain the capability to attack at range.