Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom:
The European counter-piracy mission in the region, (NAVFOR ATALANTA), announced the liberation of a cargo ship that was subjected to a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast.
The European mission said in a press release on Friday that it “successfully coordinated and facilitated the liberation of the bulk carrier (MV Golden Arsenal), which was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 110 nautical miles northeast of the Somali city of Bosaso.”
The statement added that the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) under the “Atalanta” mission received on July 1st “a report from the ship’s security officer stating that it was attacked by armed men equipped with assault rifles and (RPG) projectiles.”
“Atalanta” indicated that its command immediately began communicating with maritime partners operating in the region to support a coordinated response to the incident, “and a Korean warship headed to the location, followed by the Indian warship (INS Trikand), which deployed its helicopter and boarding team to the vessel.”
It further noted that the Indian Navy team “boarded the cargo ship, secured it, ensured there were no pirates on board, and enabled the crew to safely leave the citadel. No injuries were recorded among the crew members, despite some observed damage to equipment and structures, and the vessel resumed navigation following the attack.”
The statement revealed a second piracy attempt that targeted another commercial ship in the area surrounding the incident, noting that “there are currently three similar cases in the Somali basin, including the oil tankers (Honor 25) and (Eureka) and the commercial vessel (Sword).”
The European maritime mission urged commercial tankers and other vulnerable ships operating in the region to “maintain high vigilance and adhere to best maritime practices.”
