Indian dhow hijacked off Oman

An Indian dhow was hijacked by pirates on Sunday morning off the coast of Oman, around 800 nautical miles from Somalia.

The dhow, al Musa, was on its way to the Persian Gulf and was crewed by fourteen Indian sailors. It is home-ported at Mandvi in Gujarat. Indian Navy spokesman, Commander PVS Satish confirmed the incident to StratPost.

The Indian Directorate General of Shipping has an advisory in place warning dhows against venturing in the waters around the Gulf of Aden.

And even while the Indian Navy has been running anti-piracy patrols since October 2008, there is little left to be done after a successful hijacking. Dhows such as the al Musa typically end up as mother ships for pirates, from which they launch attacks on other vessels.

Further updates as events warrant.

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