The NATO Shipping Center reports that the bulk carrier MV Yasa Neslihan was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on October 29, but gives no details of the incident. The Marshall Islands-flag Yasa Neslihan is an 82,849 dwt, 2005 built bulk carrier operated by Turkey's Ya/Sa Shipping Industry & Trading SA. | Quick, get the Marshall Islands Navy on the phone ... |
Separately, the Spanish defense ministry said that a maritime patrol aircraft thwarted a pirate attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker Leander on Tuesday. The P-3 Orion aircraft received a call for help from the Leander on Tuesday reporting that pirates on two boats were trying to board the vessel which was was about 210 km north of the coast of Somalia. "To deter the pirates, the plane flew over the hostile boats three times and launched a smoke bomb at them each time," the defense ministry said. "After the third launch, the crew of the P-3 noticed that the boats gave up their attempt to board and separated themselves from the oil tanker." The aircraft was on a routine patrol when it received the call for help.
Spain dispatched the aircraft to Djibouti last month to collect information on the movement of pirate ships in the area as part of European Union efforts to boost security there.
The five piracy attempts yesterday noted by Fifth Fleet/Combined Maritime Forces were all unsuccessful as a result of pro-active measures taken by masters and crews of the commercial shipping vessels. Even though shots were fired during two of these attacks, the crews of commercial shipping vessels conducted evasive maneuvering and used fire hoses to repel their attackers.
The Combined Maritime Forces also established a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) Aug. 22, in support of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) call for international assistance to discourage attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden. Since its establishment, Coalition units have deterred more than two dozen attacks in the Gulf of Aden.