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Chemical tanker repels pirates, EU Navfor deters two vessels

Chemical tanker repels pirates, EU Navfor deters two vessels
Two piracy incidents off of the Somali coast have reinforced the need for vigilance and preparation in the area.

Just a few weeks after the Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, issued another warning about the on-going piracy threat, there have been two more piracy related incidents off the Somali coast.

On 5 November, The German frigate FGS Niedersachsen, on patrol for the EU Naval Force (EU Navfor), turned 10 suspected pirates in their tracks, preventing them from getting out to sea. The warship approached a whaler towing a skiff, after spotting fuel cans and long ladders aboard; the ladders were dumped into the sea by the suspected pirates and the vessels returned to shore.

The incident was followed yesterday by an attack on a Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker 460 miles South of Mogadishu. Five men fired upon the tanker from a skiff using automatic weapons, but were repelled by ship's the onboard security team with no injuries reported.

Commenting on the incidents, operation commander of EU Navfor Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant said, "It is clear that Somali pirates still have the intent and capability to get out to sea to attack ships and take crews for ransom. These attacks not only cause misery to ships' crews and their families, they also generate instability in world trade and humanitarian aid routes. Naval counter piracy forces and the maritime shipping industry must remain vigilant so that these pirates do not succeed."