Press Releases

On the morning of 2 April, the Italian Flagged container ship Ital Garland came under attack from 2 pirate skiffs firing small arms and rocket propelled grenades approximately 250 nautical miles off the Horn of Africa on route to Mombasa from Salalah.

Two vessels, MV Delmas Nacala and FV Reiman beat off sustained pirate attacks on the evening of 31 March, the attacks being conducted by two separate Pirate Action Groups (PAG). Both vessels are registered with MSCHOA and were reporting to UKMTO.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that the MV FRIGIA, previously reported hijacked on the 23 March, has now arrived off the coast of Somalia near Garacad.

In the early hours of 31 March the MV EVITA, a Sierra Leoone flagged production tanker of 9897 deadwieght tonnes (and owned by UAE), was attacked approximately 350 nautical miles north of the Seychelles, by a Pirate Action Group (PAG) consisting of 3 attack skiffs.

Continuing success by EU NAVFOR over the last 24 hours by Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and EU NAVFOR HNLMS Tromp, has led to the detention of 10 suspected pirates and the destruction of a Pirate Action Groups (PAG).

This afternoon, 29th March, the EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) from the Seychelles supported the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz to locate and apprehend a hijacked ship.

Reports have been received by EU NAVFOR that the MV Iceberg 1 has been hijacked 10 nautical miles off the port of Aden, Yemen, outside the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC).

On the morning 27 of March the Malta-flagged tanker MV SAVEH with a deadweight of 150 000 tonnes, was attacked by a Pirate Attack Group (PAG) approximately 300 Nautical Miles north east of Seychelles.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that the MV Talca, previously reported hijacked on 23 March en route to Busheir in Iran, has now arrived off the Somali coastal location of Bargaal, not a known pirate holding area, approximately 400 km north of Eyl, a pirate stronghold.

Early on the morning of Tuesday 23 March, an EU NAVFOR warship received a distress call from a merchant ship off the Somalia coast and proceeded at high speed to assist.

Early on the morning of Tuesday 23 March, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, UAE owned, MV ALMEZAAN,  en route to Mogadishu, was attacked by pirates off the Somali coast. The ship was approximately 60 miles south of Haradere.

This afternoon, Tuesday 23 March, the Bermuda flagged British Virgin Islands owned cargo ship MV TALCA was reported hijacked.