A European Union naval force swooped on six suspected pirates who shot at an oil tanker travelling through the Gulf of Aden on Friday.
The pirates opened fire on the commercial tanker, Chrystal Arctic, from a small ship that was “carrying weapons and ladders”, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) reported.
According to ABC News, private security firm Ambrey alleged that the pirates were armed with Kalashnikov-style rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. UKMTO said the tanker’s onboard security team had returned fire.
The pirates had abandoned their attempt to hijack the tanker which continued on its journey, UKMTO said.
Several hours later, Operation Atalanta, the European Union naval force in the region, reported that a frigate had detained six suspected pirates. The frigate detained the pirates due to “the unsafe condition of their skiff”, reporting that some had “injuries of varied severity”.
It is unclear at this stage whether the suspects sustained gunshot wounds during the gun battle with the Chrystal Arctic. Operation Atalanta declined to elaborate “due to the security of the operations”.
Concerns about an increase in piracy attacks off the Somali coast have grown in recent months. Five incidents have been reported during the first quarter of 2024, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
The Indian navy detained dozens of pirates who hijacked a bulk carrier and took its 17 crew hostage in March. And pirates released 23 crew members of the Bangladesh-flagged cargo carrier Abdullah in April after seizing the vessel.
“These incidents were attributed to Somali pirates who are demonstrating mounting capabilities, targeting vessels at great distances from the Somali coast,” the IMB warned in April.
