EU Warship Secures Crew of Tanker Attacked by Pirates off Somalia
An EU warship responded to an attack on an oil products tanker by pirates, securing the crew and raising concerns over a resurgence of piracy in the region.
ATHENS: An EU warship secured the crew of an oil products tanker on Friday after it was attacked by pirates off Somalia, its operator and a EU naval mission said.
The incident has raised concerns about the resurgence of piracy in the area, which had seen relative calm in recent years.The attack occurred on Thursday when pirates boarded the Malta-flagged products tanker Hellas Aphrodite.
The crew took refuge in a safe room and retained control of the vessel.
The EU’s anti-piracy naval mission, Atalanta, deployed a frigate to the area, reaching the vessel on Friday afternoon.
No injuries were reported among the 24-member crew.In another incident on Friday, a liquefied natural gas tanker was approached by a speedboat near where the Hellas Aphrodite was targeted.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LNG tanker, Al-Thumama, reportedly outran the small craft with three people on board.
This has highlighted the increased threat to shipping in the region.Somali pirate gangs were once a significant menace around the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean but have been relatively inactive in recent years due to Western naval forces' crackdowns.
However, Yemen’s Houthi militia has posed a threat through the Red Sea, leading commercial ships to divert south along East Africa's Indian Ocean coastline.
This shift in traffic has created opportunities for Somali gangs to conduct attacks.
The incident has raised concerns about the resurgence of piracy in the area, which had seen relative calm in recent years.The attack occurred on Thursday when pirates boarded the Malta-flagged products tanker Hellas Aphrodite.
The crew took refuge in a safe room and retained control of the vessel.
The EU’s anti-piracy naval mission, Atalanta, deployed a frigate to the area, reaching the vessel on Friday afternoon.
No injuries were reported among the 24-member crew.In another incident on Friday, a liquefied natural gas tanker was approached by a speedboat near where the Hellas Aphrodite was targeted.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LNG tanker, Al-Thumama, reportedly outran the small craft with three people on board.
This has highlighted the increased threat to shipping in the region.Somali pirate gangs were once a significant menace around the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean but have been relatively inactive in recent years due to Western naval forces' crackdowns.
However, Yemen’s Houthi militia has posed a threat through the Red Sea, leading commercial ships to divert south along East Africa's Indian Ocean coastline.
This shift in traffic has created opportunities for Somali gangs to conduct attacks.
