(SomaliNet) In what brings the total number of attacks in waters off the African nation this year to 83, pirates hijacked a Philippines chemical tanker with 23 crew near Somalia, a maritime official said Tuesday. Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur said the tanker was heading to Asia when it was seized Monday in the Gulf of Aden by pirates armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. Choong said there was an attempted attack the same day on a refrigerated cargo ship in eastern Somalia, but the vessel managed to escape with evasive maneuvering. The ship flies a Saudi flag but is operated out of Britain.
The bureau has issued an urgent warning to ships to take extra measures to deter pirates even while sailing in a corridor of the gulf patrolled by a multinational naval force. "The corridor is protected, but safe passage is not 100 percent guaranteed. The patrol boats cannot be everywhere at the same time. The ship master must maintain a strict radar watch for pirates," Choong said.
Many ships have managed to fend off pirate attacks after seeking help from the coalition forces, he added.
NATO has sent three ships to the Gulf of Aden - one of the world's busiest shipping lanes - to help the U.S. Navy in anti-piracy patrols and to escort cargo vessels. The European Union has said at least four warships backed by aircraft will begin policing the dangerous waters in December. The EU flotilla will eventually take over the NATO patrols.