Overview
- British officials said assailants firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades boarded a ship off Somalia, prompting a UKMTO warning to nearby vessels.
- Private security firm Ambrey reported the target as a Malta-flagged tanker sailing from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa.
- EU naval mission Operation Atalanta said it is deploying a naval asset to the area in response to the reported activity.
- Maritime sources said an Iranian fishing boat was seized and is reportedly being used as a base for attacks, while a Seychelles-flagged fishing vessel was approached by a speedboat this week.
- After years of relative quiet, incidents off Somalia have increased over the past year, raising caution across key shipping lanes carrying energy and goods.