In the early hours of 26 November, the MV ALBEDO was pirated approximately 900 nautical miles East of Mogadishu (Somalia).

The MV ALBEDO is Malaysian flagged and owned, with a crew of 23 (Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Iranian). The vessel was carrying containers and was bound for Mombasa from Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Including the MV ALBEDO, pirates are currently holding 22 vessels with 521 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. In addition, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.