Sailor injured in Somali pirate attack

The EU NAVFOR operation ATALANTA announced that one of its warships had Liberian-flagged general cargo vessel with 17,809 dwt which was attacked on May 23rd.

“The vessel was attacked yesterday, 23 May, by suspected pirates while transiting the Indian Ocean heading north approximately 380 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia,” EU NAVFOR said.

Related: Cargo ship allegedly involved in pirate attack off Somalia

An ATALANTA warship patrolling the area came to the Basilisk’s aid and boarded the vessel from a helicopter. During the attack, one crew member was injured and his condition was described as stable. He was receiving medical treatment from EU forces.

Throughout the operation, ATALANTA was in constant contact with the shipowner and the flag state.

Related: EU forces hand over suspected pirate to Seychelles for trial

This is the second attack in the region this month. EU forces handed over six suspected pirates involved in an attack on the Marshall Islands-registered tanker Chrystal Arctic on 10 May to the Seychelles authorities for prosecution.

There are growing fears of a resurgence of Somali piracy this year. EU NAVFOR reported that two or more pirate groups are active in the area of ​​the island of Socotra and 500 nautical miles east of Socotra. The threat is currently classified as moderate, with an attack off the coast of Somalia a “realistic possibility”.

Following the latest attack, the EU NAVFOR operation ATALANTA said it “strongly recommends that merchant vessels and other vessels at risk register with the voluntary registration system of the Maritime Security Centre in the Horn of Africa in order to ensure the most effective monitoring and response by ATALANTA forces and their partners in countering threats to maritime security.”