European Union naval forces successfully rescued all 24 crew members of the Maltese-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite after it came under attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
The vessel, carrying a cargo of fuel from India to South Africa, was targeted on Thursday by armed pirates using automatic rifles and small rockets, according to security firm Diablos Group. The crew remained safe by securing themselves in a protected area onboard while the assault was underway.
The rescue operation was carried out by the Spanish warship *ESPS Victoria, part of the EU’s anti-piracy Operation Atalanta in the Horn of Africa. Special forces aboard *Victoria* boarded the tanker and successfully secured the crew without injuries.
Maritime tracking data indicated that Hellas Aphrodite was approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the Somali coast at the time of the attack.
This incident comes just days after another tanker, Stolt Sagaland, carrying oil, was targeted in a similar pirate attack in the same region, highlighting the persistent threat posed by piracy in Somali waters.
Operation Atalanta continues to monitor shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, aiming to safeguard international maritime traffic and respond to piracy threats in the region.