The seas around Indonesia are the worst in the world for pirate attacks, an international watchdog said in its annual report today, warning that maritime terrorism had also become a reality.

The Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Centre of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said the Oct 6 attack o­n the French supertanker MT Limburg showed that ships had become vulnerable to terrorism.

One crew member was killed and some 90,000 barrels of oil were released into the Gulf of Aden after a small boat packed with explosives rammed into the tanker.

The centre said it was warning all tankers approaching ports in the Middle East, Pakistan and Indonesia to be aware of the threat posed by terrorists.

Coastal states must ensure that their approaches to their ports are made more secure, it said. "Post Limburg we cannot continue to hope for the best, and ignore its lessons."

Steep rise

The centre said worldwide actual or attempted piracy attacks from January to December last year posted a steep rise of 10.4 percent to 370 from 335 in 2001.

Indonesia accounted for 103 attacks and 16 more occured in the busy Malacca Strait separating it from Malaysia.

"For many years Indonesian waters have remained the highest risk area and unless the Indonesia authorities take serious steps to address the problem, the attacks will continue," the centre said.

Other countries and regions that recorded double digit attacks were: Bangladesh with 32, India (18), Malaysia (14), Nigeria (14), Vietnam (12), Ecuador (12), Guyana (12) and in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden (11).

The centre said that 10 seafarers were killed and 24 remained missing after attacks by pirates wielding guns and knives last year.

"The potential for violence continues to be a worrying factor."

In a deadly incident in May, an Indonesian passenger ship MV Oyo Star was attacked by armed gunmen while underway near Ambon. Four passengers were killed and dozens were injured.

Aggressive patrols

The centre said the number of attacks around India, Malaysia and the Malacca Strait had dropped due to aggressive patrols by the respective enforcement agencies.

It noted that there was substantial rise in hijackings to 25 from 16, mainly involving tugs, barges and fishing boats in the Malacca Strait and Indonesian waters.

"It is believed that syndicates in the area may be targeting ships and barges carrying valuable palm oil and gas oil."

In May 2002, cooperation between the Royal Thai Marine Police and navy and the IMB resulted in the capture of the hijacked tanker MT Han Wei and the arrest of three men in Thailand who confessed to the hijacking.

The centre urged seafarers to remain alert when they are in ports and anchorages, adding that Chittagong, Balikpapan, Lagos, Samarinda and Jakarta-Tanjung Priok continued to record high numbers of attacks o­n ships in their waters.

The IMB said the risk of attack by armed militia off the coast of Somalia had now increased from possibility to certainty. - AFP