Mogadishu, Somalia — A pirate group fired shots towards a bulker as part of a two-hour pursuit in the Gulf of Aden.
The master of the unnamed Palau-flagged ship reported being followed by several armed men in multiple small boats, maritime security companies Africa Risk Compliance (ARC) and Diaplous Group said.
The incident occurred in a stretch of water between Yemen and Somalia.
The captain altered course toward the Yemeni coastline and the small craft left the area.
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The crew was reported to be safe and the bulker carried on to its next port of call.
Authorities are investigating the incident.
In February, vessels were alerted to a potential renewal of the piracy threat off the coast of Somalia.
Maritime intelligence company Ambrey Analytics said it has become aware of a suspected pirate action group sighted departing Marreya on the Eyl coast.
Ambrey urged merchant vessels to increase vigilance, ensure adherence to best management practices and engage armed security personnel where possible.
The company had earlier reported that a dhow in the region was boarded and robbed by armed individuals who stole three small boats, each equipped with a 60-horsepower engine.
The Red Sea, West Africa and the Singapore Strait have all been of more concern to vessels in terms of attacks and piracy than Somalia in recent months.
In January, a Chinese fishing boat hijacked by armed Somali robbers at the end of November was released to head for home.
The Liao Dong Yu was "liberated", the European Union's Atalanta naval force (EUNAVFOR) said in a social media post, citing the Chinese embassy in Somalia.
There were 18 seafarers on the Liao Dong Yu when assailants carrying AK-47s and machine guns boarded it just off the coast on 27 November, in the first recorded piracy event off Somalia in six months.
