(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Attacks by Somali-based pirates remain a threat in regional waters. Two incidents of suspicious skiffs approaching merchant vessels transiting waters off Oman's coastline were reported on February 11.
The OCEANUSLive piracy monitoring centre stated that the UK Maritime and Trade Office (UKMTO) reported two separate incidents on February 11, one in the Sea of Oman and the other close to Masirah island.
According to a report, the first incident saw two skiffs approach a merchant vessel from either side before closing to within 200m. ''The ship sounded its alarm and fired a flare. The skiffs remained in position for three to four minutes before returning to an motor vessel in the vicinity,'' it added.
In the second incident, two skiffs approached a vessel at high speed, approximately 85 nautical miles south east of Masirah island. The skiffs tracked the vessel, which had an armed security team on board, for a while before moving off.
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