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| Arabia | |
| Private Security Companies Supplement Naval Forces Defending Against Houthis | |
| 2023-12-22 | |
Nearly every day, private armed security teams (PASTs) stationed on a floating armory somewhere in the Indian Ocean will get a message from supervisors at Ambrey, a U.K.-based firm specializing in maritime risk management. They are to grab their L1A1 SLR or Steyr Scout rifles and head out to a commercial ship sailing to the narrow and increasingly dangerous Bab al-Mandab Strait. Once on board, the PAST will provide armed security, overwatch and help the crews take all the safety precautions possible for a trip through waters where U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have conducted over 100 drone and ballistic missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels in the past month. This is in addition to boarding attempts and even seizing ships outright. These activities are ongoing in a region that's already a piracy epicenter. “Ambrey is operating somewhere between 500 and 600 transits a month in the Red Sea at this current time," said Joshua Hutchinson, a former Royal Marine commando now serving as the company’s Managing Director of Risk and Intelligence. “Clearly, there's a natural increase in demand because of the threat that is emerging in the market.” Related: Bab al-Mandab Strait: 2023-12-16 Top shipping company Maersk suspends Red Sea route after two more Houthi strikes Bab al-Mandab Strait: 2023-12-12 Houthi Rebels Hit Norwegian-Flagged Tanker With Anti-Ship Cruise Missile At Key Maritime Chokepoint Bab al-Mandab Strait: 2023-06-11 Security in Lahj Province deteriorates as Saudi Arabia seeks to remove pro-UAE groups from coastal areas | |
| Posted by:Slenter Panda4300 |
| #2 Cause it's "in the blood." "Two tours..." |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-12-22 11:28 |
| #1 no need to attack Houtis. Attack chah behar |
| Posted by: irish rage boy 2023-12-22 11:21 |