This morning, 5 of May, the EU NAVFOR Swedish Maritime Patrol Aircraft detected a Pirate Action Group (PAG) approximately 400 Nautical Miles North West of Seychelles.
EU NAVFOR French warship La Fayette was sent to the position by the Force Commander Jan Thornqvist onboard the Flag ship HSwMS Carlskrona to intercept the PAG.
Later in the afternoon, FS La Fayette found the PAG, consisting of one Whaler and two skiffs with a total of 12 suspected pirates. The mother ship and one skiff stopped immediately when ordered to do so, but the remaining skiff tried to escape. A marksman from Lafayette was able to stop the fleeing skiff with disabling fire which destroyed both engines. All pirates have now been apprehended.
Onboard the skiff was a quantity of arms and ladders and these have been seized. The EU NAVFOR Dutch warship Johan De Witt was close by and is providing assistance to the operation.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM and to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.
EU NAVFOR French warship La Fayette was sent to the position by the Force Commander Jan Thornqvist onboard the Flag ship HSwMS Carlskrona to intercept the PAG.
Later in the afternoon, FS La Fayette found the PAG, consisting of one Whaler and two skiffs with a total of 12 suspected pirates. The mother ship and one skiff stopped immediately when ordered to do so, but the remaining skiff tried to escape. A marksman from Lafayette was able to stop the fleeing skiff with disabling fire which destroyed both engines. All pirates have now been apprehended.
Onboard the skiff was a quantity of arms and ladders and these have been seized. The EU NAVFOR Dutch warship Johan De Witt was close by and is providing assistance to the operation.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM and to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.