Spoke Too Soon: Cargo Ship Hijacked Off Oman

Just as we pass the one month mark since the last hijacking, another ship is hijacked.

Suspected Somali pirates have seized a German-owned cargo ship off the coast of Oman, the first recorded attack in its territorial waters, NATO alliance staff said on Friday.

The MV Charelle was attacked 60 nautical miles south of Sur on the Omani coast, NATO Lieutenant Commander Alexandre Fernandes said aboard NATO's Portuguese warship Corte-Real, which is on anti-piracy patrol off Somalia.

I noticed Thomas Wiegold mention over Twitter that NATO is suggesting "MV Charelle has Antigua & Barbuda flag, owner registered in Samoa, managed by New Zealand company...", but this link shows a picture of the vessel and suggests it is operated by Pentagon Freight Services LLC. It will get sorted...

An attack off Oman looks like a new profile for the Somali pirates, another evolution. Hopefully not a pattern.