Press Releases

Today, 24 September 2010, the EU NAVFOR Spanish ship SPS Galicia’s boarding team approached a Kenyan dhow named “Sherry” off the eastern coast of Somalia. Suspicions were first raised when the dhow was observed towing 2 skiffs.

EU NAVFOR welcomes the second judgement, which was delivered Thursday 23 September, in a Kenyan prosecution in connection with the interdiction of a pirate group by an EU NAVFOR warship.

As the effectiveness of protection measures employed within the Gulf of Aden has increased, pirates have started to operate in previously unused areas to avoid interdiction by EUNAVFOR and other Counter-Piracy forces.  Through the 2009 inter-monsoon periods it became evident that Pirate Action Group

On 17 September, while executing a patrol along the Somali coastline, the crew of EU NAVFOR ship FS DE GRASSE located and disrupted a Pirate Action Group comprising of six boats.

MV PANEGA was hijacked on 11 May 2010, approximately 100 nautical miles east of Aden (Yemen) in the Gulf of Aden. Today, 9 September, the vessel was released from Garacad from under pirate control.

Early on the morning of 8 September, the Merchant Vessel (MV) OLIB G, flagged Malta, was pirated in the East part of the Gulf of Aden.

EU NAVFOR welcomes the first judgement yesterday in a Kenyan prosecution in connection with the interdiction of a pirate group by an EU NAVFOR warship.

Yesterday, Wednesday 25 August, EU NAVFOR Operational Headquarters (Northwood – UK) welcomed maritime industry representatives for its sixth “Industry Workshop”.

At a ceremony in Djibouti on board the EU NAVFOR Swedish warship, HSwMS CARLSKRONA, Force Commander Rear Admiral (LH) Jan Thörnqvist who has been the Force Commander of  EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA for the last four months, handed over to Rear Admiral Philippe Coindreau of France.

Late at night on Friday 6 August the MV SYRIA STAR requested medical assistance for two crewmembers that were injured in the initial hijack.

During the afternoon of 5 Aug 2010, the MV SYRIA STAR reported that she was under attack from pirates who had climbed onboard and fired shots at the crew.  Helicopters were immediately dispatched to the vessel and tried to establish communications with the SYRIA STAR, which had stopped in the water.

Yesterday 3 August, EU NAVFOR ship SPS VICTORIA stopped a pirate attack on the MV BOW SAGA. The seven individuals apprehended have been returned to Somalia.