Loss Prevention Advice
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The merchant vessel transiting off Yemen’s southern coast exchanged gunfire with an armed small craft on Tuesday in an incident that appears more consistent with piracy than the missile and drone attacks that have characterized the regional conflict involving the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.
A cargo vessel reported being approached by a small craft carrying six-armed individuals approximately 88 nautical miles southwest of Balhaf, Yemen.
“There was an exchange of fire between the small craft and the cargo vessel’s Armed Security Team resulting in the small craft turning away,” UKMTO said in an advisory. Authorities are investigating the incident.
The attack occurred in waters near the Gulf of Aden, a region long associated with Somali piracy, although pirate activity has remained relatively limited compared to the peak years of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The incident comes just days after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement announced it would resume attacks against Israeli-linked shipping transiting the Red Sea and surrounding waters. However, the tactics described by UKMTO differ significantly from recent Houthi operations, which have primarily involved missiles, drones and explosive-laden unmanned surface vessels rather than armed personnel operating from small skiffs.
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Health Spotlight: Type 2 Diabetes as the first instalment of its 2026 policy year newsletter series. The Health Spotlight series, developed in conjunction with the USCG TAC PLUS Program and in collaboration with Medical Solutions Services (MSS), affords seafarers and maritime professionals’ practical guidance on wellness and safety at sea.
Full advisory at the following link.
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.american-club.com/files/files/MA_060826_USCG_TAC_Plus_Health_Spotlight_Q1.pdf
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Lessons learned from an incident where an officer was injured after a tensioned towing line suddenly recoiled when it fouled during a vessel adrift operation.
Initial report
While the vessel was adrift, a tender was prepared for towing from the swimming platform. The line was connected and, following communication between deck and bridge, the operation proceeded on the understanding that the towing line was correctly rigged.
As the vessel moved ahead, tension built in the line, which then fouled on the upper section of a bitt, creating a restriction under load.
The officer approached to clear it and, with the line still under tension, attempted to free it by kicking it. When the line suddenly released, it recoiled violently, striking the officer on the arm and neck and briefly rendering them unconscious.
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A maritime security incident involving an armed small craft and a commercial cargo vessel has been reported in the waters southwest of Yemen.
The incident occurred approximately 88 nautical miles southwest of Balhaf, a coastal location on Yemen’s southern shoreline, at around 0430 UTC on 10 June 2026. According to the report, a cargo vessel transiting the area was approached by a single small craft carrying six-armed individuals.