Five skiffs approach a container ship in the Gulf of Aden

The event happened 26 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen on 16th May.

A group of pirates approached the container ship transiting through the Gulf of Aden in the early hours of the 16th May.

The Master of the ship raised the alarm and increased speed. The crew mustered and the armed security team on board immediately fired warning shots at the skiffs which reportedly came within 90 metres of the vessel.

According to the IMB Reporting Centre, a nearby Japanese warship dispatched its helicopter which resulted in the skiffs being forced away.