The U.S. Navy warned shipping operators that Somali pirates may have shifted focus from the Gulf of Aden to the southern Red Sea.
The pirates have begun attacking at night, the Bahrain- based Fifth Fleet said today in e-mailed advisory, alerting the shipping community to the recent change of tactics.
Merchant mariners should remain at a "high state of alert" and plan new routing while taking advantage of the May- to-September monsoon season, which will probably reduce the number of successful assaults, the Navy said.
"The prior preparation and vigilance of merchant mariners at all times of day and night is more important now than ever," Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, said in the statement.
Adverse weather in the Somali Basin coupled with an increased presence by international navies forced the change in the pirates'tactics, according to the Navy. Evasive maneuvering and other defensive measures taken by shippers have also been successful, it said.
About 25 warships from the European Union, the U.S., Turkey, China, India, Russia and Malaysia are in the Gulf of Aden to protect a shipping route that carries about one-tenth of world trade.
Source: Bloomberg
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