Dramatic Rescue as EU Forces Storm Hijacked Tanker
In a swift and decisive operation, a European Union naval force has successfully rescued 24 mariners from a Malta-flagged tanker after it was attacked and seized by Somali pirates. The incident, which occurred off the coast of Somalia, has sent shockwaves through the maritime community and sparked renewed fears about the resurgence of piracy in the region.
Machine Guns and Grenades: The Attack Unfolds
The crisis began on Thursday when pirates launched a violent assault on the chemical tanker Hellas Aphrodite. The attackers used machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before managing to board the vessel. The ship was transporting gasoline from India to South Africa at the time of the attack. In a smart defensive move, all 24 crew members immediately locked themselves inside the ship's fortified citadel, a safe room designed for such emergencies, where they remained until help arrived.
The situation was resolved on Friday when the ESPS Victoria, a Spanish frigate operating as part of the EU’s Operation Atalanta, reached the vessel. Special forces were dispatched to board the tanker, where they confirmed the safety of all crew members. Tracking data analysed by The Associated Press revealed the tanker was over 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) off the Somali coast, highlighting the vast reach of modern pirate groups.
A Wider Pattern of Piracy Emerges
This hijacking appears to be part of a coordinated wave of attacks. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre issued a separate warning about another maritime event in the same area. According to the UKMTO, a small vessel carrying three individuals, believed to be from the same pirate group, attempted to approach another ship but was outrun.
This is not an isolated incident. Earlier in the week, the Cayman Islands-flagged Stolt Sagaland was targeted in a suspected pirate attack that resulted in an exchange of gunfire between the ship's armed security and the assailants. These and other incidents have been linked to the same pirate gang, which is suspected of operating from an Iranian fishing boat it had seized previously.
The threat of Somali piracy had significantly diminished after its peak in 2011, which saw 237 attacks and cost the global economy an estimated $7 billion. This decline was achieved through increased international naval patrols and a more stable Somali government. However, attacks have resumed at an alarming rate over the last year.
Experts point to regional instability as a key factor, notably the insecurity caused by Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching attacks in the Red Sea due to the Israel-Hamas war. According to the International Maritime Bureau, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia in 2024. The Hellas Aphrodite represents the first commercial ship seized by pirates off Somalia since May 2024, signalling a dangerous new chapter for shipping lanes.
The human cost of these actions extends beyond the crews. Osman Abdi, a local fisherman in Mogadishu, expressed his community's fear and frustration, stating that the hijackings create stigma and problems for legitimate fishermen, who are often wrongly suspected of being pirates.
