Hellas Aphrodite ship watched by a vessel of the EU anti-piracy naval force Photo: European Union's Operation Atalanta / AP / Profimedia
The anti-piracy naval force of the European Union on Friday secured an oil tanker that had been attacked off the coast of Somalia, amid concerns about a recrudescence of piracy in the Horn of Africa region, reports AFP on Saturday, taken over by Agerpres.
Somalia was known for incursions by pirates who demanded money to allow the passage of attacked merchant ships, but no such incidents had been reported in recent months.
“After a show of force, the pirates abandoned the commercial tanker,” the EU naval force said in a statement, adding that “the 24 crew members are safe and there are no injuries.”
Armed pirates attacked the Hellas Aphrodite, a ship operated by the Greek company Latsco Marine Management, while the ship was heading to the South African port of Durban. The ship had departed from Sikka, a port in India.
The European navy said it was searching for the pirates, who are still active in the region, and would prosecute them if caught.
Britain's maritime security agency UKMTO said the Hellas Aphrodite was approached from behind by a small craft that opened fire with small arms and rocket launchers.
This attack comes three days after a failed attempt to board the oil tanker MV Stolt Sagaland off the coast of Somalia.
