Press Releases

On 2 February, Operation Commander of EUNAVFOR Somalia – Operation Atalanta, Rear-Admiral Peter Hudson, was in Brussels and briefed the press on developments regarding this counter-piracy operation.

The General Cargo vessel, M/V RIM is reported to have been hijacked this morning in the Gulf of Aden to the north of the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). M/V RIM is not registered with MSC HOA and has had no communications with UKMTO.

The hijacked M/V Asian Glory put to sea on Friday 29 January from the Somali coast and headed south to rendezvous with suspected pirate groups in the Indian Ocean. On Saturday 30 January, she headed north and eventually made a rendezvous with the hijacked Dhow Faize Osamani.

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).