Red Sea latest: Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd ships attacked, Navibulgar bulk carrier boarded

It has been another perilous 24 hours for vessels transiting the Red Sea with two boxships attacked and one bulk carrier boarded.

The situation in the southern Red Sea has now descended to the violent chaos last seen more than a decade ago during the height of the Somalia piracy crisis.

Like the Somali crisis, the US is being widely tipped to announce the creation today of a special multinational Red Sea task force to aid merchant shipping.

A Hapag-Lloyd containership, Al Jasrah, was struck by an aerial projectile earlier this morning while transiting the Bab Al Mandab Strait.

The projectile reportedly hit the port side of the 14,500 teu vessel and one container fell overboard and a fire on deck was reported.

Officials at Hapag-Lloyd confirmed the attack to Splash, adding that no crewmembers were injured.

Two hours prior, the 11,500 teu MSC Alanya had to carry out evasive manoeuvres as it came close to Yemeni waters.

Meanwhile, the Maersk Gibraltar suffered a close shave yesterday with a missile just missing the 10,000 teu ship while it was transiting near to Yemen, one of many attacks carried out on merchant shipping by the Houthis over the past month.

“This issue cannot be addressed by the global shipping industry alone, and we urge the international society to come together to find a swift resolution to bring the situation under control,” Maersk said in a statement today.

Elsewhere, in an attack that has the hallmarks of Somali pirates, a 41,600 dwt bulk carrier called Ruen belonging to Navibulgar was boarded yesterday. Crew made for the ship’s citadel and are deemed safe, but the incident is ongoing.

Somali pirates are known to have abducted a number of smaller ships in recent weeks with a view to kidnapping larger ships, and likely holding crew to ransom.

Houthi forces are also targeting vessels via VHF Channel 16 requesting vessels change course to headings that would bring them closer to Yemen.

“Expect the boardings, drone, and missile attacks to continue to escalate in this region for the foreseeable future. Along with the drone and missile issues, there have also been numerous reports of small vessels and helicopters sighted on patrols within the region which could lead to further threats to shipping,” Dryad Global, a UK-based maritime security consultancy, warned in a recent update.

“These attacks have become more prevalent in recent weeks and could lead to shifting trade patterns, increased convoys and potentially higher insurance costs,” shipping analysts at Jefferies, an investment bank, suggested earlier this week.