The pirate attack on the Greek-owned tanker Hellas Aphrodite off the coast of Somalia ended with a resounding success by the special forces and the crew safe, while authorities warn of increased risk in the Indian Ocean region.
A resounding success was carried out by the Spanish special forces on the afternoon of November 7th on the Greek-owned tanker Hellas Aphrodite, which they liberated more than 24 hours after Somali pirates had boarded it off the coast of Somalia.
EUNAVFOR Atalanta reported that all 24 crew members, including the 5 Greek sailors, are safe, as they had managed to remain in the specially designed “citadel” space. The Spanish frigate ESPS Victoria was alongside the tanker as it was preparing to resume its journey.
The pirates had boarded the ship on November 6th, while it was sailing approximately 560 nautical miles southeast of Eyl. Before managing to board the ship, they launched an attack with gunfire, including with an RPG rocket. The ship was loaded with gasoline at the time of the attack. The crew managed to enter the specially designed space in time and remain there secured.
The EU forces monitoring the area reported that the Spanish frigate ESPS Victoria was already on patrol and was immediately dispatched to the scene. According to Atalanta, after the initial show of force, the pirates abandoned the tanker. The operation was supported by a helicopter, an unmanned aircraft, a reconnaissance aircraft, and a special operations team.
Atalanta coordinated a combined operation with the authorities in the Puntland region of Somalia, from where the pirates are believed to originate, as well as with the Spanish Operations Command, a Japanese P3C aircraft, and a Seychelles maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Atalanta reports that it remained in continuous contact with the crew, the flag state, and the owning company during the developments.
However, both EUNAVFOR Atalanta and UK Maritime Trade Operations warn that the risk remains high in the area. Martin Kelly, head of advisory services at EOS Risk Group, emphasized that the incident with the Hellas Aphrodite was the third related to the same pirate group.
During the operation, another boat with three pirates approached an LNG tanker approximately 120 nautical miles north of the Hellas Aphrodite. According to UKMTO, the ship Al Thumama, with a capacity of 113,749 dwt under the flag of the Marshall Islands, managed to escape by increasing speed and changing course.
The warship Atalanta confirmed that a coordinated operation is underway to locate and capture the dhow used as a mothership for the attacks, which is believed to be the Iranian Issamohamadi 2.
The team on the Hellas Aphrodite is collecting information that could be used to identify and capture the pirates. Searches in the area continue.
The same group is suspected of approaching the commercial fishing vessel Intertuna Tres under the flag of the Seychelles on November 2nd, as well as the incident with the ship Spar Apus under the Norwegian flag on the same day. On November 3rd, the tanker Stolt Sagaland was also attacked, with the security team returning fire and the pirates retreating.
Analysts note that 18 months have passed since Somali groups had last targeted large commercial ships. This wave of incidents increases concern about a resurgence of pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean.
