EU Maritime Forces Rescue Crew Following Somali Piracy Incident on Oil Tanker
EU maritime units have safely freed 24 sailors from a Malta-registered oil tanker that was attacked by sea robbers off the coast of Somalia.
The Hellas Aphrodite, which was transporting fuel from India to South Africa, was seized on Thursday when heavily armed attackers began shooting with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades before taking control of the vessel.
The crew locked themselves inside a secure safe room while the attackers took control of the ship.
Mission Accomplished
A Spanish warship, operating under the EU's anti-piracy mission, arrived at the ship on the following day. Special forces entered the vessel and found all 24 crew members safe and sound.
"All personnel is secure and no harm have been documented. Throughout the incident, they stayed in the secure area in constant communication with command center," officials stated, noting that a "demonstration of power" had prompted the attackers to leave the ship before the warship reached the location.
Ongoing Threat
Authorities added that the threat risk in the area "remains critical" as the armed groups are continue to be in the vicinity.
The mission utilized a aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle and surveillance aircraft. Just hours earlier, a different vessel in the same area was targeted by a fast boat but successfully avoided it.
Resurgence of Piracy
This event marks the most recent in a spate of attacks that have raised alarms about a renewal of maritime crime in the area.
Piracy operations had decreased when international naval patrols and protective protocols were introduced after peaking more than a ten years past.
Nevertheless, attacks by militant groups on ships in the Red Sea, which have been carried out for the recent period, have caused ships to be rerouted through the African coastline - opening up new opportunities for Somali gangs.
Incident Data
- Seven reported incidents of maritime crime occurred off the shoreline of Somalia last year
- Several vessel takeovers were documented among these events
- Only one incident of piracy was noted in 2023
Industry professionals are closely watching the situation as shipping companies navigate these increasingly dangerous shipping lanes.
