European Union Maritime Forces Free Crew Following Somali Piracy Incident on Vessel
EU naval forces have safely freed two dozen crew members from a Maltese-flagged oil tanker that was targeted by pirates off the coast of Somali waters.
The Hellas Aphrodite, which was carrying petrol from Indian ports to South Africa, was taken over on Thursday when heavily armed attackers opened fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before boarding the ship.
All sailors locked themselves inside a fortified citadel while the attackers assumed command of the ship.
Successful Rescue Operation
A Spanish warship, operating under the European Union's maritime security operation, reached the ship on Friday afternoon. Special forces boarded the craft and found all 24 crew members safe and sound.
"All personnel is secure and no injuries have been reported. During the incident, they stayed in the citadel in direct contact with command center," authorities announced, adding that a "demonstration of power" had prompted the pirates to abandon the vessel before the naval unit arrived.
Continuing Danger
Officials emphasized that the threat risk in the area "remains critical" as the pirates are continue to be in the area.
The mission involved a aircraft, drone and reconnaissance plane. Just hours earlier, another ship in the same area was approached by a small speedboat but successfully avoided it.
Resurgence of Piracy
This incident represents the most recent in a spate of incidents that have created concern about a renewal of maritime crime in the region.
Such activity had decreased when global maritime security and security measures were implemented after peaking more than a ten years past.
However, assaults by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Arabian Sea, which have been conducted for the recent period, have caused ships to be diverted through the African coastline - creating new opportunities for Somali gangs.
Incident Data
- Multiple piracy cases of piracy took place off the shoreline of the Somali region in the previous year
- Several vessel takeovers were documented among these incidents
- A single case of piracy was noted in the preceding year
Industry professionals continue to monitor the situation as vessel operators travel through these potentially hazardous waters.
