EU Maritime Forces Free Crew Following Somalia Piracy Incident on Oil Tanker
European Union naval forces have successfully rescued 24 sailors from a Malta-registered oil tanker that was targeted by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
The Hellas Aphrodite, which was carrying fuel from Indian ports to South Africa, was taken over on Thursday when heavily armed attackers opened fire with machine guns and explosive projectiles before boarding the vessel.
The crew secured themselves inside a fortified citadel while the pirates took control of the marine transport.
Mission Accomplished
A naval vessel, functioning under the EU's anti-piracy mission, reached the ship on Friday afternoon. Special forces entered the craft and discovered all 24 crew members unharmed.
"All personnel is safe and no harm have been reported. During the ordeal, they stayed in the secure area in direct contact with command center," authorities stated, noting that a "demonstration of power" had convinced the pirates to abandon the ship before the naval unit reached the location.
Ongoing Threat
Officials added that the danger level in the area "remains critical" as the pirates are still in the area.
The rescue operation involved a helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicle and surveillance aircraft. Just hours earlier, a different vessel in the identical region was approached by a small speedboat but successfully avoided it.
Return of Maritime Crime
This incident marks the latest in a spate of attacks that have raised alarms about a renewal of maritime crime in the area.
Such activity had decreased when international naval patrols and security measures were introduced after reaching their highest point more than a decade ago.
Nevertheless, 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 - opening up new possibilities for Somali gangs.
Incident Data
- Multiple piracy cases of piracy occurred off the shoreline of Somalia in the previous year
- Three hijackings were documented among these incidents
- Only one incident of piracy was reported in the preceding year
Maritime security experts are closely watching the situation as shipping companies travel through these potentially hazardous shipping lanes.
