In total six missiles were fired yesterday, three
at the Star Nasia kamsarmax belonging to Star Bulk and
three at the UK-owned Morning Tide general
cargo ship. Both ships suffered minor
damage but there were no injuries to crew.
What
made these attacks – the 49th and 50th since the start of November – different
to previous ones, as pointed out by Lars Jensen from consultancy Vespucci
Maritime, is that they took place far apart – one in the Gulf of Aden and the
other in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Previously attacks have been in just one
location and not both.
Speaking with Splash last
week, Arsenio Dominguez, the new
secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), called for
a “multi-faceted” solution to the ongoing Red Sea shipping crisis.
“The
solution has to be multi-faceted: enhanced ship security; a cessation of
hostile activity which targets innocent seafarers; and regional and
international efforts to reach a peaceful resolution to the problem,” Dominguez
said.