Suspected Pirates Attack Ship In Bab el-Mandeb Strait

A bulk carrier sailing through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait became the target of an attack by suspected pirates.

The pirates chased the ship in smaller vessels and eventually opened fire in the ship’s direction, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center stated.

The ship was attacked twice, and armed guards aboard it also opened fire in return.

Fortunately, the crew members were safe, and nobody was injured.

The region has witnessed several attacks by the Houthis over the Israel-Hamas conflict, along with a rise in piracy from Somalia.

The Bab el Mandeb Strait is a link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Massive exports of petroleum and natural gas from the Persian Gulf that transit the Suez Canal or the SUMED Pipeline pass through the strategic waterway.

Source: Maritime Shipping News