Yemen Monitor / Aden / Exclusive:
Two commercial cargo ships were attacked by armed boats off the coast of Yemen on Sunday in two separate incidents reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), raising fresh concerns about piracy and maritime security in the Gulf of Aden, despite the region’s recent focus on the conflict involving Iran and the Houthi group.
According to the UKMTO, the first incident occurred approximately 14 nautical miles south of the Yemeni coast, where a container ship reported a small boat approaching it. Those on board opened fire and attempted to board the ship before the attack was thwarted. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were available.
A few hours later, the British agency issued a second warning regarding a tanker located about 111 nautical miles southeast of Aden. In this incident, a boat carrying four armed men reportedly approached the ship and fired at it using a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). Authorities are currently conducting investigations into both attacks.
These incidents come less than a week after an armed security team aboard a commercial ship exchanged gunfire with a small boat carrying six armed men, approximately 88 nautical miles southwest of Yemeni Balhaf region. In that instance, the ship’s security team returned fire, forcing the attackers to retreat and withdraw.
While the Iran-backed Houthi group has threatened to resume attacks on Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, the tactics described in the recent incidents differ significantly from recent Houthi operations, which have primarily relied on missiles, drones, and remote-controlled unmanned surface vessels.
The use of armed boats and boarding attempts is more consistent with traditional piracy activities that plagued the region during the height of the Somali piracy crisis.
The latest advisory from the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) warned that the activities of piracy groups remain persistent and plausible in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin, noting that Somali pirates are currently holding three commercial vessels, including a petroleum products tanker seized earlier this year.
The Gulf of Aden remains one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes, connecting the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea via the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
These incidents serve as a reminder that shipowners operating in the Gulf of Aden face a matrix of security threats ranging from piracy and armed robbery to broader instability linked to regional conflicts.
