EU Maritime Force Deploys Warship Near Hijacked Bulk Carrier As Part of Anti-Piracy Mission

Image Credits: EUNAVFOR ATALANTA from X.

A warship of the European Union Naval Force or EUNAVFOR has been sent to keep a close watch on the MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi-flagged bulk carrier which was hijacked by Somali Pirates and whose crew was taken hostage.

The deployment is part of EUNAVFOR’s anti-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta. The news of the warship deployment was announced on X at 12:30 am on Friday.

A video posted on EUNAVFOR’s official X handle showed the warship near the MV Abdullah, and a helicopter could also be seen hovering close to the hijacked vessel.

EUNAVFOR, which strives to protect ships off the East African coast from Pirates, added that it has been keeping a close watch on the Bulk Carrier MV Abdullah since its hijacking on March 12.

Since November 2023, multiple incidents related to piracy have taken place in the Area of Operations. 3️⃣ merchant vessels have been assaulted, one still under pirate control: MV ABDULLAH.

Latest ℹ️ on cases: https://t.co/KLv0PDO4fD

📷 ATALANTA warships engaged in the Area. pic.twitter.com/uV8da3yRDi

— EUNAVFOR ATALANTA (@EUNAVFOR) March 21, 2024

European Union Naval Force mentioned in another post that many incidents of piracy on cargo ships have been reported since the end of 2023. Among three commercial vessels which were hijacked by pirates recently, MV Abdullah remains under the control of the Somali pirates.

Around 24 ships have been the target of hijacking in the waters of Somali and the Gulf of Aden since November 24, 2023, per sources.

Owned by Kabir Group’s SR Shipping, MV Abdullah was hijacked with its 23-member crew while it was in the Indian Ocean on its way to the UAE from Mozambique. The pirates took the crew as hostages and contacted the ship owners on March 20.

Per Reuters, Puntland Police of Somalia and the International Navy were about to conduct an operation to free the vessel and its kidnapped crew; however, Kabir Group’s spokesperson Mizanul Islam said that they did not want military intervention as it could threaten the safety of the seafarers.

References: bdnews24, views bangladesh

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