Special forces sent to tanker hijacked by Somali pirates
Crew rescued after Somali pirates storm oil tanker
- European Union naval forces successfully rescued 24 crew members from the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite after it was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
- The pirates assaulted the vessel on Thursday using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but the crew safely secured themselves within the ship's citadel.
- The rescue operation concluded on Friday when the ESPS Victoria, a Spanish frigate operating under the EU's Operation Atalanta, reached and boarded the tanker.
- This incident has raised renewed fears about piracy in the region, marking the first commercial ship seized off Somalia since May 2024, following a previous decline in attacks.
- The resurgence of Somali pirate activity, including other recent attempts and seizures, is partly linked to the insecurity caused by Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea corridor.