EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

On 13 November 2010, the MV YUAN XIANG, a Panamanian-flagged vessel, was pirated in the Somali Basin, approximately 650 nautical miles (1,200 kilometres) East of Salalah (Oman).

The MV YUAN XIANG is reported to have 29 crewmembers onboard, all of whom are Chinese.

Including the MV YUAN XIANG, pirates are currently holding 21 vessels with 498 hostages.

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 African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EU NAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EU NAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.