Press Releases

Early this morning, in the southern Indian Ocean, between the Seychelles and Mombasa a pirate group of 1 mother ship and 2 skiffs was intercepted by EU NAVFOR.

EU NAVFOR can report that earlier this morning, 4 March, the 2,100 tonnes Spanish Fishing Vessel Albacan was attacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean.

EU NAVFOR has been informed that on Monday 1st of March a Merchant Vessel, the Saudi Arabia-flagged Product tanker, in ballast, AL NISR AL SAUDI with deadweight of 5,136 tonnes, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

EU NAVFOR can now confirm that the Greek owned Panama flagged Bulk Carrier the MV NAVIOS APOLLON that was hijacked on the 28 of December has been released this morning of 28 February.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that on the morning of 27 February a ransom drop was successfully made for the release of the Greek owned  Panama flagged Bulk Carrier, the MV NAVIOS APOLLON. The MV NAVIOS APOLLON was hijacked on the 28 of December approximately 200 nautical miles East of the Seychelles.

On Wednesday 24 February, ministers of the defence of the European Union agreed that from the end of March they will expand the objectives of Operations Atalanta to include control of Somali ports where pirates are based, as well as ‘neutralising’ mother ships that allow the pirates to opera

EU NAVFOR can now confirm that the Singaporean flagged M/V PRAMONI that was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on the morning of 1 January 2010 is released.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that on the morning of 26 February a ransom drop was successfully made for the release of the Singaporean flagged M/V PRAMONI that was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on the morning of 1 January 2010.

On 19th February the EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Emden was tasked to investigate a dhow and a skiff acting strangely in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC).

On the 28th of January, the World Food Programme (WFP) Motor Vessel M/V MASAR TRADE started her transit north from Mogadishu to Berbera, a port in northern Somalia, in order to deliver goods and humanitarian aid.

On 17th of February, FS NIVÔSE left her home port of La Reunion to join the European Naval Force Somalia - Operation ATALANTA (EU NAVFOR).

The UK Flagged M/V ASIAN GLORY, hijacked on 1 January in the Somali Basin, is understood to have put to sea from its anchorage in Heredeere late yesterday and conducted logistical pirate transfers further south, off the Somali coast.