UAE oil tanker pirated in Indian ocean

Muscat: A UAE owned and flagged oil tanker MV Jubba XX is reported to be pirated in the Indian ocean last Saturday, according to a press release emailed by the European Union Naval Force Public Affairs Office on Monday.

The laden tanker was on her regular route from the UAE to the port of Berbera, Somalia when nine suspected Somali pirates took over the 4831 tonnes DW vessel.

Last Friday, the vessel was located by a Maritime Patrol aircraft 100 nautical miles north-west of Socotra Island, heading to the northern Somali coast.

“Little information is available at present but it is reported that 9 suspected Somali pirates are on board MV Jubba XX,” said the press release.

The MV Jubba XX has a crew of 16; one Sri Lankan, five Indians, three Bangladeshis, one each from Myanmar and Kenya and four Somalis. There is no information on the condition of the crew and the vessel was not registered with MSCHOA at the time of the pirating.

EUNAVFOR continues to monitor the situation.

EU NAVFOR Somalia - Operation ATALANTA's main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the 'World Food Program' (WFP) and vessels of 'African Union Mission in Somalia' (AMISOM), and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.

EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.