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Chemical Tanker Marida Marguerite Hijacked
Early on the afternoon of May 8, a Marshal Island flagged, German owned, Chemical tanker the Marida Marguerite, of 13000 tonnes, was hijacked 120 miles south of Salalah (Oman).
EU NAVFOR Anti-Piracy Activities
![Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-eu-navfor-3637.jpg)
Following hot on the heels of EU NAVFOR French ship Tonnerre’s success, who earlier on May 1, tracked down and destroyed a mother ship, EU NAVFOR FS La Fayette destroyed another mother ship and held another nine suspected pirates for questioning. A helicopter from the La Fayette spotted a pirate action group (PAG), with one mother ship and one skiff, in the Indian Ocean, between Mogadishu and the Seychelles. When detected, the suspected pirates tried to escape and threw paraphernalia over board.
The EU NAVFOR Warship Intercepted Pirates
![Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-eu-navfor-3616.jpg)
On April 25, the EU NAVFOR warship ESPS VictoriaICTORIA intercepted a pirate action group (PAG) comprising one mother ship, a Whaler, and two skiffs. The suspected pirates were detected by the frigate’s helicopter 40 miles from the Somali coast north west of the Seychelles. The helicopter crew saw that the mother ship was carrying a large number of fuel drums, and also the normal paraphernalia for hijacking ships (ladders, hooks, etc); there was no fishing gear on board.
Arming Vessels to Combat Piracy
A top Navy commander suggested that commercial vessels should arm themselves when traveling through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast. Navy Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald, commander of U.S.
Turkish Bulk Carrier Released by Pirates
EU NAVFOR can confirm that the Turkish flagged Bulk Carrier YASIN C, hijacked 7 of April approximately 250 Nautical Miles east of Mombasahas, has suddenly been released…
USS Ashland Captures Pirates
![Photo courtesy U.S. Navy](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-us-navy-3577.jpg)
At approximately 5:00 a.m. local time April 10, USS Ashland (LSD 48), was fired upon by a skiff manned by suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 330 nautical miles off the coast of Djibouti. During the attack, Ashland received small arms fire on the port side from the six man crew of suspected pirates aboard the skiff. Ashland, in accordance with her rules of engagement, returned fire. USS Ashland fired two rounds at the skiff from her MK-38 Mod 2, 25mm gun.
Pirates Hijack Turkish Bulk Carrier
The Turkish flagged Bulk Carrier Yasin C was hijacked on April 7 approximately 250 Nautical Miles east of Mombasa. The Yasin C, with deadweight of 36 318 tonnes…
McFaul Crew Captures Suspected Pirates
![Photo courtesy U.S. Navy](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-us-navy-3569.jpg)
The crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul captured 10 suspected pirates and rescued eight crewmembers from the Indian cargo dhow Faize Osamani near Salalah, Oman, April 5 after a dhow and three skiffs attempted to attack the Motor Vessel Rising Sun the same day. Rising Sun sent a distress call that morning to alert maritime forces that pirate skiffs had pulled alongside and were firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at their vessel.
Combined Forces Intercepts Somali Pirates
![Photo courtesy U.S. Navy](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-us-navy-3557.jpg)
The Flagship of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, USS Farragut (DDG 99), intercepted suspected pirates in the Somali Basin on April 1. The Sierra Leone-flagged tanker MV Evita came under attack 500 km north-west of the Seychelles by three suspected pirate skiffs. During the attack, the pirates fired rifles and aimed rocket propelled grenades at the vessel in an attempt to force it to stop. The MV Evita was able to evade attack by adopting industry recommended best management practices…
Risk of Information Theft on Inmarsat C
Dr. Ir. Sluiman, of eXpert ICT, is a naval reserve officer assigned to the Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) organization of the Netherlands. All…
MARAD Warns of Increased Piracy
The Maritime Administration issued advisories to U.S. ships in the waters off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean. The warnings advise that pirate activity could increase between now and May…
Panama Vessel Hijacked Near Aden
![Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-eu-navfor-3548.jpg)
Reports have been received by EU NAVFOR that the MV Iceberg 1 has been hijacked 10 nautical miles off the port of Aden, Yemen, outside the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). The Iceberg 1 is a Panama Flagged, Roll on Roll Off vessel with deadweight of 4500 tonnes. The vessel, with a crew of 24 and carrying a mixed cargo of general mechanical equipment, was bound for Jebel Ali in the UAE when hijacked.
Seychelles Hostage Rescue
![Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-eu-navfor-3545.jpg)
The afternoon, March 29, the EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) from the Seychelles supported the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz to locate and apprehend a hijacked ship. Robust action from the Topaz ensured the release of 27 hostages: nine pirates have been captured. Early the morning of March 29, the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Adm Giovanni Gumiero, tasked the Seychelles Maritime Patrol…
Zim Security Team Turns Back Pirates
Israeli security guards on board the Zim Africa Star repelled an attack by Somali pirates on the ship. The ship was en route from Mombasa, Kenya, to Djibouti, when 350 miles from the Somali coast…
EU NAVFOR Rescues Iranian Crew
![The Iranian Dhow UAID 400 alongside ESPS Navarra (Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/the-iranian-dhow-uaid-400-3517.jpg)
On 19th March the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship Navarra was dispatched by the Force HQ (ITS ETNA) to assist an Iranian dhow that had sent out a distress call. The Iranian fishing dhow, named UAID 400, with 13 crewmembers, had suffered a pirate attack some days before and had been left without food, water or sufficient fuel to return to shore. After a high speed dash, the Navarra’s helicopter located the dhow early the following morning, 60 N Miles from its last known position.
EU NAVFOR Transfers Suspected Pirates
This morning, 17 March, saw the culmination of highly successful EU NAVFOR pirate disruption activities by the EU NAVFOR French warship Nivose against Pirate Action…
Pirates Attack EU NAVFOR Warship
Early the morning of March 17, two small skiffs made a fast approach on the EU NAVFOR Dutch HNLMS Tromp with what appeared to be a pirate attack. The Tromp fired…
EU NAVFOR Destroys More Pirate Groups
![Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-eu-navfor-3494.jpg)
On March 12, after receiving a report from MV E.R. Lubeck (Liberian Flag, German owner), that pirates in two skiffs had tried to hijack her, COMEUNAVFOR initiated a surge operation to intercept and disrupt the pirate action group (PAG). The EU NAVFOR Flagship ITS Etna tasked the EUNAVFOR Swedish and Luxemburg Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and EUNAVFOR Warship HNLMS Tromp against the PAG consisting of one mother skiff and two skiffs.
EU NAVFOR Destroys More Suspect Pirate Skiffs
![Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-eu-navfor-3484.jpg)
EU NAVFOR units operating in the Somali Basin, between the Seychelles and the Somali coast, have discovered more suspected pirate activity. In an area close to the disruption of five pirate attack groups by EU NAVFOR, EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Emden intercepted a suspect pirate group consisting of a mother ship and two skiffs. The pirate mother ship was first detected in the late hours of 11 March…
Fishing Vessel Attacked in Indian Ocean
![Photo courtesy EU NAVFOR](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-courtesy-eu-navfor-3465.jpg)
EU NAVFOR reported that on the morning of 4 March, the 2,100 tonnes Spanish Fishing Vessel Albacan was attacked by pirates in the Indinan Ocean. The Albacan, owned by Albacora, and registered in Cadiz, was fishing half way between the Seychelles and the Kenyan coast (Mombasa) when it was approached by two pirate skiffs. The skiffs had pirates onboard with weapons clearly visible and Albacan took evasive action.