Two merchant vessels came under attack from armed skiffs off Yemen on June 15 in separate incidents that authorities say bear the hallmarks of piracy rather than Houthi activity.
According to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the first attack occurred about 14 nautical miles off Yemen’s southern coast when a small skiff approached a containership. The occupants reportedly opened fire and attempted to board the vessel before being driven off. No injuries or damage were reported.
Several hours later, a second incident was reported approximately 111 nautical miles southeast of Aden. A tanker was approached by a skiff carrying four armed individuals who allegedly fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at the vessel. Authorities are investigating the attack.
The incidents follow another security event reported less than a week earlier, when an armed security team aboard a merchant vessel exchanged gunfire with six armed men in a small craft about 88 nautical miles southwest of Balhaf, Yemen. The attackers abandoned their approach after the vessel’s security personnel returned fire.
While Yemen’s Houthi movement has repeatedly threatened commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, maritime security analysts note that the tactics used in the latest incidents differ significantly from recent Houthi operations, which have relied primarily on missiles, drones and unmanned surface vessels.
Instead, the use of small armed skiffs, direct gunfire and attempted boardings is more consistent with traditional piracy tactics associated with Somali pirate groups.
The latest advisory from the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) warned that piracy action groups remain active in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin. According to the center, three merchant vessels are currently being held by Somali pirates, including an oil products tanker seized earlier this year.
The attacks serve as a reminder that vessels transiting one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors continue to face multiple security threats, ranging from regional conflict to the re-emergence of piracy. Despite the international focus on the Hormuz and Red Sea crises, ship operators are being urged to maintain anti-piracy measures and heightened vigilance while operating in the region.
