EU naval force seizes Iranian-flagged dhow used in Somali pirate attack PHOTO

A European Union naval mission has taken control of an Iranian-flagged dhow that was hijacked and used by pirates to attack an oil products tanker off the coast of Somalia last week. The vessel was later abandoned by the assailants, according to the EU’s naval force, Operation Atalanta.

Operation Atalanta confirmed that the crew of the dhow are safe and “in good condition,” and said it is cooperating with Somali authorities to locate the perpetrators, Caliber.Az reports per Reuters. 

“The dhow, abandoned by the alleged pirates on the northwestern coast of Somalia, was closely tracked and monitored by the operation's flagship ... and an Indian Navy warship,” the force said in a statement on November 11. “The pirate ... group operating in the area has been definitely disrupted.”

According to officials, the pirates had seized the dhow, a traditional fishing vessel, earlier this month and later used it to board the Hellas Aphrodite, a Maltese-flagged tanker carrying gasoline from India to South Africa. The EU naval force successfully secured the tanker on November 7.

Operation Atalanta, launched in 2008, is part of international efforts to combat piracy and ensure maritime security along the strategically critical trade corridor off the Somali coast.

By Sabina Mammadli