A 50,000 metric tonnes chemical tanker was on Friday attacked by suspected Somali pirates before European Union naval forces repulsed them.
The twenty-minute incident occurred 295 kilometres off the coast of Somalia.
“The skiffs approached from the stern and fired upon her after which the onboard Private Armed Security Team returned with warning shots†EU Naval Forces statement said.
The chemical tanker MT Leopard Sun was on its way to Cape Town South Africa from Sohar in Oman.
The crew of the tanker are said to be safe.
This is the first pirate attack reported off Somalia in many months with the presence of anti-European and China naval ships.
