Vessel attacked by suspected pirates off Somalia

A vessel was attacked in transit whilst six nautical miles offshore of Somalia in a rare incidence of attempted piracy off the Horn of Africa.

According to Dryad Global, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report of a vessel being attacked approximately 100 nautical miles North East of Mogadishu at 04:45 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on 13 August.

It is believed that the vessel was attacked by a single skiff with four people onboard. The vessel was fired upon, with onboard personnel returning fire. After an hour the skiff turned towards the coast and fled, according to Dryad Global.

The vessel and all crew were reported as safe.

Piracy off Somalia’s coast has been heavily subdued over the past few years. Shipping firms hiring private security and the presence of international warships has been a major deterrent in incidents of pirates attacking vessels.