US EditionEU Forces Rescue Tanker Crew After Pirate Attack
The crew of 24 secured themselves in a citadel during the attack, marking the first Somali pirate seizure of a commercial ship in over a year, EU naval force said.
- On Thursday, EU Operation Atalanta rescued 24 sailors from the Malta-flagged Hellas Aphrodite, seized while carrying gasoline from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa.
- Resurgent piracy has been linked to Houthi attacks forcing reroutes through East Africa's Indian Ocean, while earlier declines followed international naval patrols and security measures.
- Attackers fired machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before boarding the Hellas Aphrodite, whose crew of 24 mariners locked themselves in the ship's citadel; Latsco Marine Management Inc. said, "All 24 crew are safe and accounted for, and we remain in close contact with them."
- The UKMTO warned ships about activity roughly 560 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, while Atalanta said assets were closing in and ready to act amid a critical threat.
- The episode recalls 2011 when piracy peaked at 237 attacks and cost the global economy $7 billion with $160 million paid in ransoms, while seven incidents and multiple seizures occurred this year.
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The European Union naval force rescued the crew of the Maltese-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite on Friday after it was attacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The pirates had taken control of the tanker but eventually escaped. All 24 crew members locked themselves in and were rescued.
European naval forces have rescued 24 sailors from a Maltese-flagged tanker that was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Crew Rescued After Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: Somali pirates attacked the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite, which was later rescued by European naval forces.WHO WAS INVOLVED: The crew of the Hellas Aphrodite, Somali pirates, and a European Union (EU) naval force under Operation Atalanta.WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred on Thursday off the coast of Somalia, with the rescue concluding on Friday.IMPACT: The incident highlights a resurgence in Somali piracy, par…
The pirate attack is part of an increased series of attacks, or attempted attacks, off the Somali coast.
Somali pirate attack on Maltese tanker
European Union naval forces under Operation Atalanta have successfully liberated the Maltese-flagged merchant tanker Hellas Aphrodite after it was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia on November 6. All 24 crew members are safe and unharmed after taking refuge in the ship’s citadel during the ordeal, which began the previous morning, around 700 nautical miles from Mogadishu. Source
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