EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

As EU NAVFOR reported in a previous press release, several pirate attack groups are operating in the Southern Indian Ocean between Seychelles and Kenya.

During one of the attacks on the French Fishing Vessel TORRE GIULIA, the ship took evasive action and called for the assistance of other F/V in the area. Two other French F/V’s came to her aid TREVIGNON and TALENDUIC. TREVIGNON fired warning shots using her vessel protection detachment (VPD) but the attack skiffs persisted. During the close encounter, one mother ship collided with TREVIGNON and sank.

EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft operating in the area were able to direct Naval assets to the scene of the attacks. EU NAVFOR French warship NIVOSE was tasked with disrupting this pirate activity when the report of the attack and sinking of the skiff was received. EU NAVFOR understands that there were six persons in the mother ship when it sank and the Fishing vessel immediately stopped to help those in the water to save their lives.  Only four persons have been found alive and the other two are missing. EU NAVFOR assets have been diverted to help in this rescue operation.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships 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.