EU Naval Forces Free Sailors After Somalia Piracy Incident on Vessel
European Union naval forces have successfully rescued 24 sailors from a Maltese-flagged petroleum vessel that was targeted by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
The vessel, which was transporting petrol from Indian ports to South African destinations, was taken over on Thursday when heavily armed attackers opened fire with automatic weapons and explosive projectiles before taking control of the vessel.
All sailors locked themselves inside a fortified citadel while the pirates assumed command of the marine transport.
Mission Accomplished
A naval vessel, operating under the EU's anti-piracy mission, reached the tanker on Friday afternoon. Special forces boarded the vessel and found all two dozen sailors unharmed.
"All personnel is secure and no injuries have been reported. During the ordeal, they remained in the secure area in direct contact with command center," officials stated, adding that a "show of force" had prompted the attackers to abandon the vessel before the naval unit arrived.
Continuing Danger
Authorities added that the danger level in the region "continues to be serious" as the armed groups are continue to be in the area.
The mission involved a helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicle and surveillance aircraft. Just hours earlier, another ship in the identical region was approached by a fast boat but successfully avoided it.
Resurgence of Piracy
This incident represents the latest in a spate of attacks that have raised alarms about a resurgence of maritime crime in the region.
Such activity had decreased when global maritime security and protective protocols were implemented after reaching their highest point more than a ten years past.
Nevertheless, attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Arabian Sea, which have been carried out for the past two years, have led ships to be rerouted through East Africa's Indian Ocean - opening up new opportunities for local pirate groups.
Incident Data
- Multiple piracy cases of maritime crime occurred off the coast of Somalia last year
- Three hijackings were documented among these events
- A single case of piracy was reported in the preceding year
Industry professionals continue to monitor the developments as vessel operators travel through these potentially hazardous shipping lanes.
