Armed Boats Attack Two Commercial Ships Off Yemen In Separate Gulf of Aden Incidents

Two commercial vessels were attacked in separate incidents off Yemen’s coast in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday and early Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

In the first incident, a container ship reported being approached by a small skiff about 14 nautical miles south of the Yemeni coast. Those on board the skiff opened fire and attempted to board the vessel.

The attempt was not successful. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were available.

UKMTO said the incident occurred at around 7:35 a.m. UTC.

Hours later, the agency reported a second incident involving a tanker approximately 111 nautical miles southeast of Aden.

The vessel was approached by a small skiff carrying four armed men, who opened fire on the tanker using a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). Authorities said investigations were ongoing.

In a separate advisory, UKMTO urged vessels operating in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

The incidents come less than a week after another attack in the same waters, when an armed security team aboard a commercial vessel exchanged fire with a small boat carrying six armed men around 88 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s Balhaf region. The attackers later withdrew.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and onward to the Suez Canal, is a key global trade corridor for container shipping and energy flows.

Maritime security agencies and industry sources have reported several attacks on commercial shipping in the region in recent years, leading many operators to increase security measures and change vessel routes.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has previously attacked shipping in the Red Sea region using missiles, drones, and unmanned surface vessels.

However, the tactics seen in these latest incidents, small boat approaches, gunfire, and attempted boarding, are different and are more consistent with traditional piracy or armed robbery at sea.

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) has earlier warned that piracy remains a possible threat in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, where some commercial vessels have been seized in past incidents.

According to JMIC advisories, Somali pirates are currently holding three commercial vessels, including a petroleum products tanker seized earlier this year.

UKMTO said investigations into the latest incidents are still ongoing, and no group has claimed responsibility so far.

References: yemenmonitor, ukmto