IMB ICC - Suspicious Activity in the Bab el Mandeb

This incident will not be included in the IMB statistics.

IMB Sus - 006 16.04.2017

1022 UTC: Posn: 12:49.1N – 043:16.0E, Bab el Mandeb, Red Sea.

Three suspicious, blue hull skiffs with five persons in each approached a container ship underway. Master raised the alarm, the non-essential crew retreated into the citadel and the armed security team showed their weapons. Master informed the coalition warship about the approaching skiffs.

When the skiffs were around one nm from the ship, the armed team fired a rocket flair resulting in the skiffs aborting the approach. At 1035 UTC, another white hull skiff with six persons onboard approached the ship.

The security team fired another rocket flair towards the skiff resulting in the skiff crossing the ships bow and moving away.

At 1050 UTC, another two skiffs were seen approaching the ship. At a distance of 0.7nm from the ship the security guards showed their weapons resulting in the skiffs aborting and seen heading towards Mayyun.

All crew safe. The ship continued her passage.