Press Releases

The Bulk Carrier Filitsa, hijacked in the Somali Basin on 11 November 2009, has been released after payment of a ransom.  The Marshall Island Flag Filitsa, with her crew of 22 (19 Filipino and 3 Greek) had been held at the pirate stronghold of Hobyo, on the Somali coast.

On the afternoon 27 January MCC Northwood hosted a short visit by the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Poroshenko, the Deputy MFA Mr Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, the Defence Attaché Col. Kyryliuk and Secretary Nikitov.

In early December a Pakistani fishing vessel was hijacked by pirates not far from the territorial waters of Oman and, during the attack, one of the fishermen was shot in the leg just below the knee.

On the morning of Saturday 23rd of January, EU NAVFOR Warship BREMEN boarded a skiff inside IRTC.

On the 23rd of January, EU NAVFOR Warship ESPS NAVARRA completed successfully the escort of MV POWER STAR to Salalah.

On the 20th of January, EUNAVFOR Warship FS SURCOUF  successfully completed the escort of AMISOM chartered cargo vessel ALPHA KIRAWIRA, Sierra Leone flagged, from MOGADISHU to MOMBASA.

On the afternoon 18 January, General Hakan Syren, the chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) visited EU NAVFOR’s Headquarters in Northwood, near London.

On 18 January 2010, the Greek crude Oil Tanker M/V MARAN CENTAURUS was released outside Haradere off the coast of Somalia.

On the early morning of 16 January 2010 pirates attacked the Indian vessel M/T JAG LAYAK in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC).

On the afternoon of Wednesday 13 January the non-European Union member in EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation Atalanta, HNOMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN returns home after six months on anti piracy patrol.

On the late afternoon of 1 January, UK Flagged M/V ASIAN GLORY (a vehicle carrier) owned by ZODIAC Maritime Agency, was hijacked in the Somali Basin approximately 900 nautical miles north of the Seychelles and 600 miles from the coast of Somalia.

On the morning of 1 January 2010, the Singaporean Flagged M/V PRAMONI, a chemical tanker of 20,000 dead weight tonnes, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.