Asia/Pacific News
Singapore, Malaysian, Indonesia Navies Fend Off Bunker Pirate Attack
Naval forces fended off a bunker pirate attack on a tanker off Malaysia Saturday night, local newspaper the Rakyat Post reports.
The Royal Malaysian Navy, assisted by the navies of Indonesia and Singapore, responded to the attack on a Singapore-managed tanker, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)'s Piracy Reporting Centre.
"The Malaysian Navy quickly dispatched a patrol boat and managed to intercept the tanker," the IMB said.
"The pirates managed to escape before the arrival of the naval boat."
The IMB added that the ship's crew and cargo are safe, but some reports say that 620 metric tonnes of MGO and personal belongings were stolen before the pirates fled.
The incident took place 30 nautical miles south of Pulau Aur, Mersing.
The United Nations (UN) said Thursday that Southeast Asia has become the world's hot spot for piracy after an international response reduced attacks off the coast of Somalia.
A number of pirate attacks have been reported in the region in recent weeks, often involving the theft of oil cargoes.
