After days of pursuit, naval forces have surrounded a seized dhow, neutralizing the threat to merchant ships in the region.
After several days of joint operations, forces from the European mission Eunavfor Atalanta and the Indian Navy intercepted a dhow occupied by pirates in the Indian Ocean, putting an end to the threat against commercial shipping.
According to the EU Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (Mscio), the pirate group (Pag) responsible for recent attacks is now under control and no longer represents an immediate danger to merchant vessels, although the dhow’s crew — composed of fishermen — remains hostage and the pirates refuse to surrender.
The group had been active for over a week and had already attempted to seize the tanker Hellas Aphrodite, boarded on November 6 about 560 nautical miles from Eyl (Somalia). The intervention of the Spanish frigate Esps Victoria, in service for Operation Atalanta, forced the pirates to flee.
The same suspects are also believed to have attempted to attack the LNG tanker Al Thumama and other ships, including the Intertuna Tres, the Spar Apus, and the StoltSagaland.
The tactics used — the seizure of dhows and assaults on the high seas — recall those from the peak of Somali piracy in the early 2010s, which has now resurfaced due to regional instability and Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea.
