EU Maritime Forces Rescue Sailors After Somali Pirate Attack on Vessel

EU naval forces have successfully rescued 24 sailors from a Malta-registered petroleum vessel that was attacked by sea robbers off the coast of Somalia.

The vessel, which was carrying petrol from India to South African destinations, was seized on Thursday when armed pirates opened fire with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades before taking control of the vessel.

The crew secured themselves inside a fortified citadel while the pirates assumed command of the ship.

Successful Rescue Operation

A naval vessel, functioning under the European Union's maritime security operation, arrived at the tanker on Friday afternoon. Elite military units boarded the vessel and discovered all two dozen sailors unharmed.

"All personnel is secure and no injuries have been reported. Throughout the incident, they remained in the secure area in constant communication with command center," authorities announced, noting that a "demonstration of power" had convinced the pirates to leave the vessel before the naval unit arrived.

Continuing Danger

Authorities emphasized that the danger level in the area "continues to be serious" as the pirates are still in the area.

The mission involved a aircraft, drone and reconnaissance plane. Shortly before, a different vessel in the identical region was approached by a small speedboat but successfully avoided it.

Return of Maritime Crime

This incident represents the latest in a spate of attacks that have raised alarms about a resurgence of maritime crime in the area.

Such activity had declined when international naval patrols and protective protocols were introduced after peaking more than a ten years past.

Nevertheless, assaults by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Arabian Sea, which have been carried out for the past two years, have caused vessels to be diverted through the African coastline - creating new opportunities for Somali gangs.

Incident Data

• Seven reported incidents of piracy took place off the shoreline of the Somali region last year
• Three hijackings were recorded among these incidents
• Only one incident of piracy was reported in the preceding year

Maritime security experts continue to monitor the developments as vessel operators travel through these potentially hazardous shipping lanes.