The Hellas Aphrodite, a Malta-flagged oil tanker carrying gasoline to South Africa, was rescued from pirates in the early afternoon yesterday in a mission mounted by the European Union’s Naval Force Operation ATALANTA.
The vessel had been attacked about 1,100 kilometres east of Mogadishu on Thursday morning while en route from India to South Africa. The attackers opened fire with small arms and a rocket-propelled grenade before boarding the ship.The crew of 24 took shelter in a fortified safe room, and remained there until their rescue yesterday. There were in constant contact with naval personnel in the EU Naval Force. No injuries have been reported.
In a statement, Operation ATALANTA said that “after an early show of force” by naval force, the pirates “abandoned” tanker
The rescue involved the flagship ESPS Victoria, a helicopter from the vessel, an uncrewed aerial vehicle, the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft, and the Special Operations Team.
The statement added: “Data and evidences about the incident are being gathered to support the legal prosecution of the alleged pirates, should they be captured. To this end, ATALANTA, in collaboration with its maritime security partners in the area of operations, is continuing the intensive search for the PAG still active in the area.
“The threat assessment in the area surrounding the incident remains critical. The mother ship and the pirates remain in the area. A coordinated joint operation is ongoing to intercept the dhow used in this attack.”
Earlier,Bloomberg reported that the incident was being regarded as the most serious in a series of recent attacks in the region. Maritime experts warn that the rerouting of global shipping away from the Red Sea due to Houthi rebel activity has increased traffic along the East African coast, creating new targets for Somali gangs.
[Image: https://eunavfor.eu/index.php/news/operation-atalanta-liberates-merchant-tanker-hellas-aphrodite]
Source: dailyfriend
