Merchant Ship Fired Upon in Strait of Hormuz

Last Sunday, while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, an unknown merchant vessel was attacked by a pirate skiff with six persons on board armed with machine guns, reported the NATO Shipping Centre.

According to the report, the vessel was fired upon from close range with two shots hitting the bridge and accommodation area. The ship’s crew than activated fire hoses driving away the pirate speedboat.

The attack occurred just 90 minutes after another merchant vessel, sailing in the area, had been approached by two similar skiffs with crews wearing military clothing.

Thankfully, no one was injured in the incidents.

With the nationalities of the non-merchant crews not yet determined, it’s hard to say whether the two incidents are related, said a spokesman for the NATO Shipping Centre.

[mappress]
WMN Staff, March 31, 2014