EU anti-piracy force frees ship from suspected pirates off Somalia
Friday May 24 2024
Pirates detained by the Indian navy during a rescue operation for the hijacked ship MV Ruen sit on the deck in this handout image released on March 16, 2024. PHOTO | REUTERS
The European Union's anti-piracy force in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea said on Friday the Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Basilisk had been freed from suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia and its 17 crew members were safe.
The ship was attacked by suspected pirates on Thursday around 380 nautical miles east of Somalia's capital Mogadishu while sailing north, the EU Naval Force said in a statement.
Read: EU anti-piracy force flags possible attack off Somali coast
The EU said its forces boarded the Basilisk from a helicopter on Thursday night, having sent one of its Operation Atalanta warships to respond earlier in the day.
A male crew member who was injured during the attack by the suspected pirates was in a stable condition and has received medical attention, it said.
Somali pirates caused chaos in the waters off the country's long coastline between 2008 and 2018 but had been dormant until late last year when pirate activity started to pick up again.