Somali pirates have carried out 35 out of 39 reported hijackings worldwide in the first nine months of 2010, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports. The attacks in the piracy infested waters of the Gulf of Aden have decreased by over 50 per cent, from 100 to 44 reported attacks. The naval presence can partially be credited for this trend.
Somali pirates have carried out 35 out of 39 reported hijackings worldwide in the first nine months of 2010, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports. The attacks in the piracy infested waters of the Gulf of Aden have decreased by over 50 per cent, from 100 to 44 reported attacks. The naval presence can partially be credited for this trend.
The EU anti-piracy operation Atalanta off Somalia captures suspected pirates. Photo: EU Navfor “Increased intelligence gathering coupled with strategic placement of naval assets has resulted in the targeting of suspected pirate action groups before they become operational”, Captain Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, says. On a global level, pirates carried out 289 attacks, compared to 306 in the corresponding period last year. 128 ships were boarded and 53 ships were fired on. A total of 70 vessels reported thwarting attacks. Pirates used guns in 137 incidents and knives in 66, killing one crew member, injuring 27 and taking 773 hostages, compared to 661 hostages in the corresponding period last year. A new area of increased piracy is dawning in the South China Sea, which suffered 30 piracy attempts in the last nine months, resulting in 21 successful boardings. This is three times the number of incidents reported during the same period last year.
