Foiled! Six Somali Pirates Captured During Failed Tanker Hijacking off the North African Shoreline

A group of suspected pirates was apprehended by a European Union naval force following an altercation with an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden near the coast of Somalia. Concerns have been raised about the increasing number of piracy incidents in the area.

The pirates were intercepted after they fired at the Marshall Islands-flagged Chrystal Arctic in the waterway that links the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route. They engaged in a firefight with the tanker’s security team before abandoning their hijacking attempt.

According to the British military’s Maritime Trade Operations center, the pirates were equipped with firearms and ladders. They carried Kalashnikov-style rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, as reported by the private security firm Ambrey.

While the crew of the tanker remained unharmed, the pirates reportedly sustained various injuries during the altercation, although the exact cause was unclear.

The incident occurred amid ongoing attacks on ships by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who are showing support for Hamas in its conflict with Israel by targeting vessels passing through the region.

Although piracy off the coast of Somalia was once rampant, international efforts to patrol the area have led to a decrease in attacks in recent years.

Source: Post wires