Bosaso (Sahan Post) :— Somali pirates who briefly hijacked the Maltese-flagged vessel Hellas Aphrodite in the Red Sea earlier this week have abandoned the ship without causing any injuries to its 24-member crew, maritime security sources confirmed.
The Hellas Aphrodite, reportedly en route to a South African port, was seized on Thursday by armed assailants believed to be Somali pirates. The ship’s crew took refuge in a secure citadel, an onboard safety room designed for protection during piracy incidents, while awaiting rescue.
According to maritime officials, the incident was resolved after a Spanish warship operating under the European Union Naval Forces (EU NAVFOR) successfully reached the area where the vessel was being held. The pirates fled the scene before any confrontation occurred, leaving the crew unharmed and the ship intact.
Security sources told Sahan Post that a formal investigation is now underway to determine the identity of the attackers and the origins of the hijacking plot. Preliminary reports suggest the pirates had used a fishing dhow registered in Iran to approach and seize the merchant ship.
The hijacking took place approximately 560 nautical miles off the Somali coast in the Indian Ocean, an area that has seen sporadic piracy attempts despite years of international patrols aimed at deterring such incidents.
Authorities have described the situation as “stable,” noting that the crew is safe and the vessel has resumed its course under naval escort.
Sahan News Desk
info@sahanpost.com
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