Six pirates captured in southern Somali following container ship attack

The EU naval force patrolling the Indian Ocean waters said Sunday it captured six pirates and seized their vessels following an attacks on a container ship and a fishing vessel in Southern Somalia Basin.

“Six crew of a motor whaler, acting as mother ship, and a skiff have been detained following attacks on a 52,000 tonne container ship and a fishing vessel,” EU NAVFOR said in a statement. The events, the naval force said reportedly took place over a 24 hours period on 17th and 18th November in the southern Somalia Basin which it noted is known for piracy incidents.

“During the incidents a number of rocket propelled grenades were fired against the container ship,” EU NAVFOR said. “The suspected pirates were apprehended by the Italian Marines from ITS Virginio Fasan after their vessels were located using Fasan’s SH-90 helicopter, following initial searches by the Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft Cisne.”

The naval force launched in 2008 in response to piracy off the coast of Somalia said the search for the suspected pirates was coordinated with partners and from information provided by the masters of the vessels concerned. Positive visual verification was made which allowed this to take place.

A legal process has now begun for the suspected pirates to be transferred to the appropriate authority for prosecution, the force added.

EU NAVFOR operates in an Area of Operations covering the Southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and a large part of the Indian Ocean, including the Seychelles, Mauritius and Comoros,’ a statement from its website reads.  The Area of Operations also includes the Somali coastal territory, as well as its territorial and internal waters. This represents an area of about 4,700,000 square nautical miles (approximately 8,700,000 square kilometres).

The naval force offers protection of vessels the World Food Programme, Amisom shipping and also monitors fishing activities off the coast of Somalia.