Spanish frigate rescues 24 crew from Somali pirates targeting Malta-flagged tanker; EU warns regional threat remains “critical and escalating.”
In a dramatic maritime showdown off the Somali coast, European Union naval forces successfully intercepted a pirate attack on the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite, saving all 24 crew members after an intense standoff that reignited fears of resurgent piracy in the Indian Ocean.
According to Operation Atalanta, the EU’s long-running anti-piracy mission, special forces aboard the Spanish frigate ESPS Victoria executed a daring boarding operation on Friday, freeing the crew who had barricaded themselves in the ship’s citadel when armed pirates stormed the vessel on Thursday.
“An early show of force by the Victoria encouraged the pirates to flee the vessel,” Operation Atalanta said, crediting the swift multinational response — which involved a helicopter, drone, and surveillance aircraft — for averting a hostage crisis.
The Hellas Aphrodite, carrying gasoline from India to South Africa, was attacked over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off Somalia, one of the farthest offshore hijack attempts in recent years. Pirates opened fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, forcing the tanker’s crew to take shelter.
The Diaplous Group, a private maritime security firm, confirmed the Victoria remains alongside the tanker until its engines are restarted and it can resume sailing. However, the EU Naval Force warned the threat remains “critical,” noting that the pirates’ “mother ship” and accomplice vessels are still operating in the area.
This attack follows a string of recent incidents, including Monday’s assault on the Cayman Islands-flagged Stolt Sagaland, where security guards exchanged gunfire with pirates. Intelligence sources believe the same gang — operating from a captured Iranian fishing dhow — is responsible for both attacks.
Piracy off Somalia peaked in 2011, with 237 incidents costing the global economy $7 billion and $160 million in ransom payments. International patrols and stronger Somali governance had largely eradicated the threat, but instability triggered by Yemen’s Houthi attacks in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas war has reignited pirate activity.
In 2024, at least seven attacks were recorded; this latest incident marks the first full vessel seizure of 2025.
Local Somali fisherman Osman Abdi voiced the toll on civilians:
“Their actions could be held against us — many will consider us fishers to be pirates as well, and that instills fear.”
As the EU task force hunts the pirates’ remaining vessels, global shipping operators are once again on alert — a stark reminder that, in these turbulent waters, the line between commerce and chaos can vanish overnight.
