In the early hours of Friday, a trading ship successfully defended itself against a pirate attack in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, near Yemen. This event adds to recent security concerns as major shipping companies consider cautiously resuming travel through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received reports that a bulk carrier faced an attack from about 15 small boats, located 15 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen at 03:32 UTC on December 5. The report indicated that some of these small boats got very close to the ship, within 1-2 cables, before the on-board Armed Security Team fired back at the pirates.

MarineTraffic data showed that the vessel involved was identified as the Bobic, which maintained its speed while changing course after sending out a distress call. The ship encountered the small boats, prompting the security team to fire back. Shortly after the first attack, a second wave came with two skiffs and a potential mother ship several miles away.

At the same time, another ship named Globe Aliki was also in the area and passed near the Bobic. According to reports, the Globe Aliki saw the small boats from about 1 nautical mile away, describing them as fishing boats. This vessel was not targeted during the incident.

Data from MarineTraffic.com indicated that the Bobic changed its destination to “Armed Guard Onboard” on December 3, and then to “Chinese Crew” on December 5. The ship is proceeding to its next port, with all crew members reported safe after the security team successfully repelled both attacks.

This attack comes as the shipping industry is gradually starting to reinstate container services in the Red Sea. A second Ocean Alliance service has resumed transit through the Suez Canal on its way back to Asia. Ocean Alliance member OOCL announced that the LL4 service provided by CMA CGM will return to Asia via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, with plans for all future eastbound voyages through the region.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are also looking into restarting Suez Canal transits but have not specified when this will happen. Last month, Maersk announced it would take steps to resume navigation along the East-West corridor through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, emphasizing the safety of their crew as the main priority.

This recovery comes after the Houthi group announced a suspension of maritime operations in the Red Sea earlier in November, although experts warn that while risks may seem lower, they are not entirely gone.

At the same time, traffic through the Suez Canal has shown signs of improvement, with November statistics indicating that 1,156 ships crossed the canal, carrying 48.5 million tons of cargo, generating $383.4 million in revenue. This compares to 1,000 ships, 38.3 million tons, and $300.6 million in November 2022.

The captain of the attacked vessel confirmed that all crew members are safe, although limited information is available due to the quick nature of report preparation and distribution.