❓WHAT HAPPENED: Somali pirates attacked the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite, which was later rescued by European naval forces.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The crew of the Hellas Aphrodite, Somali pirates, and a European Union (EU) naval force under Operation Atalanta.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred on Thursday off the coast of Somalia, with the rescue concluding on Friday.
🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights a resurgence in Somali piracy, partly driven by regional instability from Houthi rebel activity.
The crew of an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates was successfully rescued by European Union (EU) naval forces. On Thursday, pirates—using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades—attacked the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite off the Somali coast, seizing partial control of the vessel with the crew locking themselves in the ship’s citadel.
A rescue operation, led by the ESPS Victoria, a Spanish frigate under the EU’s Operation Atalanta, reached the Hellas Aphrodite on Friday and was able to board the vessel. According to officials, the crew was recovered safely.
This attack marks the first commercial ship seizure off Somalia since May 2024, raising renewed fears about piracy in the region. Previously, a decline in such incidents had been observed. The attack could mark the return of Somali attacks in the region, which recently saw an explosion and subsequent decline in Houthi rebel attacks from Yemen on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
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