Pirate Tactics Evolve Off Somalia

EagleOne has an interesting map noting how the pirate attacks appear to be shifting to the south and east, although there is still plenty of evidence that attacks are occurring frequently in the north as well. IMB has seen the pattern developing as well, and is calling for the coalition to extend its coverage area.

A maritime watchdog Tuesday urged an international naval coalition patrolling the waters off northern Somalia to extend its watch to the country's eastern and southern coasts.

The warning came amid a spike in attacks in the area. The latest attack occurred late Monday, when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns at a South Korean bulk carrier off eastern Somalia. The vessel managed to escape after carrying out evasive maneuvers, the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center said.

Since March 22, pirates have attacked 10 ships off eastern and southern Somalia, hijacking two of them, said Noel Choong of the piracy center in Kuala Lumpur. In contrast, he said, there was only one reported attack in the Gulf of Aden, to the north of Somalia, because of the international anti-piracy task force protecting those waters.

The problem is, there are no more ships. The international community has been able to limit the number of hijackings by creating transit lanes for convoys and organizing the shipping community.

This problem will only be solved on land.