Suspected Pirate Attack on Cargo Ship off Somali Coast

A Liberian-flagged cargo ship, M/V Basilisk, is suspected of being attacked pirates while sailing approximately 380 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia.

The purported incident has been confirmed by EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA, the European Union’s counter-piracy naval force in the region.

The vessel was heading north when the potential piracy incident occurred. One of the ATALANTA warships in the vicinity was the first to respond to the alert. “EUNAVFOR ATALANTA is taking the appropriate actions to respond effectively and promptly to this alert,” the warning stated.

The confirmation from EUNAVFOR comes after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office received a report of a merchant vessel being boarded by an unknown number of assailants from two small crafts in the same general area.

The incident comes amid a resurgence of Somali piracy since November.

EUNAVFOR has previously reported the presence of two or more pirate action groups off the Somali coast following a string of recent dhow hijackings. Two merchant vessels, the MV Ruen and the MV Abdulla, have been hijacked since December, with the former rescued by the Indian Navy after a three-month hostage situation and the latter released after a purported ransom payment.

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