After several days of pursuit and a tense standoff, naval forces operating under the European Union’s Operation Atalanta have successfully boarded a hijacked dhow that had been used as a mother ship for multiple pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean. While the pirates managed to flee before the boarding, European naval officials confirmed that cooperation with Somali authorities is underway to track down and prosecute those responsible.
The dhow, originally an Iranian-flagged vessel, had been seized by a Somali pirate action group last month. Since early November, the group had been using the vessel to launch attacks on international merchant ships. Operating hundreds of miles from shore, the pirates employed small skiffs as strike boats to target commercial shipping in the region.
One of their most audacious attacks occurred on November 6, when the pirates targeted the product tanker Hellas Aphrodite approximately 560 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia. Armed with rifles, they opened fire on the tanker and managed to board it. The crew, however, took refuge in the ship’s citadel until the Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Victoria arrived the following day, forcing the attackers to withdraw. The entire crew was later confirmed safe, and Victoria proceeded to track the pirates’ mother ship.
Over November 8–9, a coordinated effort between the Indian Navy and EUNAVFOR assets located the dhow. The forces refrained from launching an immediate boarding operation due to the presence of hostages on board, as the pirates had threatened to harm the dhow’s crew, according to maritime risk consultancy Vanguard Tech. While the situation was contained and nearby shipping was no longer under immediate threat, the standoff dragged on for several days.
By November 11, EUNAVFOR reported that the dhow had reached Somalia’s northwestern coastline. The pirates eventually abandoned the vessel and escaped ashore, leaving the hostages unharmed. Naval forces recovered the dhow and secured critical evidence believed to be linked to the group’s attacks.
“The Pirate Action Group (PAG) operating in the area has been definitively disrupted,” EUNAVFOR stated. “Operation Atalanta continues to work closely with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Puntland Federal Government to locate and apprehend the suspected pirates.”
The incident marks another reminder of the persistent threat of piracy in the western Indian Ocean, even as international naval operations continue to deter large-scale hijackings and safeguard global shipping routes.
