The IMO opened its 137th Council session in London with maritime security, Strait of Hormuz risks and renewed piracy concerns in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden high on the agenda.
A cargo ship reported an attack southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen. UKMTO said authorities are investigating the incident, following separate suspected piracy reports south of Balhaf.
Pirates boarded an unnamed tanker in the Gulf of Aden on 1 July and later pursued a second merchant ship, according to maritime security reports.
Nine crew abducted from CGas Saturn in the Gulf of Guinea on 3 December have been released and are being repatriated, Christiania Gas said.
A bulk carrier transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was chased and fired on twice by suspected pirates, with onboard guards returning fire. All crew were reported safe in this strategic waterway for oil and gas exports.
A Denmark-owned LPG tanker, CGas Saturn, was hijacked off Equatorial Guinea, with nine crew members kidnapped — showing that piracy risks in the Gulf of Guinea remain high despite international patrols.
