EU Maritime Forces Rescue Sailors Following Somali Pirate Attack on Oil Tanker

European Union maritime units have safely freed two dozen crew members from a Maltese-flagged oil tanker that was targeted by sea robbers off the coast of Somali waters.

The Hellas Aphrodite, which was transporting petrol from India to South Africa, was seized on the recent incident when heavily armed attackers opened fire with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades before taking control of the ship.

All sailors secured themselves inside a fortified citadel while the pirates took control of the ship.

Mission Accomplished

A Spanish warship, operating under the European Union's maritime security operation, reached the ship on Friday afternoon. Special forces boarded the vessel and discovered all two dozen sailors unharmed.

"The crew is secure and no harm have been reported. During the incident, they stayed in the secure area in direct contact with the operation," officials stated, adding that a "demonstration of power" had prompted the pirates to abandon the ship before the naval unit arrived.

Ongoing Threat

Authorities added that the threat risk in the area "remains critical" as the pirates are continue to be in the vicinity.

The mission involved a aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle and surveillance aircraft. Shortly before, a different vessel in the identical region was targeted by a small speedboat but managed to evade it.

Return of Maritime Crime

This event marks the latest in a series of attacks that have raised alarms about a resurgence of maritime crime in the region.

Such activity had declined when international naval patrols and protective protocols were introduced after peaking more than a decade ago.

However, assaults by militant groups on vessels in the Arabian Sea, which have been conducted for the past two years, have caused vessels to be rerouted through East Africa's Indian Ocean - opening up new opportunities for local pirate groups.

Incident Data

• Seven reported incidents of piracy occurred off the coast of the Somali region in the previous year
• Several vessel takeovers were recorded among these events
• Only one incident of piracy was reported in 2023

Industry professionals continue to monitor the situation as vessel operators navigate these potentially hazardous waters.