Libya
Two ships have been attacked by aircraft in waters off Mareesa near Benghazi, resulting in one vessel being sunk.
The Tobruk Government conducted the attacks and stated both ships were carrying men and munitions to Benghazi to fight against them. It appears that both vessels were small, similar in size to fishing boats.
Three tankers have been attacked previously while trying to enter ISIL held ports.
The Tripoli based branch of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) has criticised the Tobruk Government for the attacks on vessels.
Gerry Northwood OBE, COO of leading maritime security company MAST, said:
Any commercial agreements with the NOC should be scrutinised to confirm which branch (Tripoli or Tobruk) of the NOC has approved it. Entering a port without permits from the branch with jurisdiction for that port could result in the vessel being attacked or arrested.
Yemen
Aden has been retaken by the Official Government. As a result the first aid shipment in four months has been delivered. The Houthi Rebels are now being pushed north up to the town of Taiz. Support for the Shia Muslim Houthi Rebels is low in the Sunni Muslim Southern Yemen.
The President remains in exile in Saudi but some of the Government have returned to Aden.
The Houthi rebels have retaliated launching a large artillery barrage against towns around Aden.
Kenya/Somalia
The Kenyan Government has released a number of convicted Somali pirates enabling them to return to their homes in Somalia.
Northwood said:
There is some concern that there appears to have been no rehabilitation programme for the convicted pirates, and it is possible that they will seek work as armed guards protecting ocean going fishing vessels operating illegally off the coast of Somalia. The risk in this situation is that it is not a big step from providing security on an ocean going fishing vessel to taking that vessel over and using it as a mothership for piracy.
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For further information, please contact:
Gerry Northwood: +44 7557 938 060 | +44 1279 669 402 (ext. 615) | gerry.northwood@mast-security.com
David Barzilay: +44 7860 322 333 | +44 207 544 8980 | david@barzilay.co.uk
Julian Menendez: +44 7838 547 531 | +44 207 544 8831 | julian@barzilay.co.uk
About MAST – www.mast-security.com
MAST is a leading global security provider with the expertise and capability to provide comprehensive security advice, including the delivery of intelligence information, physical security solutions and technology.
With offices in the UK, USA, Malta, Oman, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Singapore and China, the company has the resources and the reach to provide clients with a complete solution.
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