The pursuit of the ship MV Abdullah keep on going. This Bangladeshi boat, which was transporting more than 50,000 tonnes of coal between Mozambique and the United Arab Emirates, was attacked on Tuesday March 12 by Somali pirates about 1,000 km from the coast. International navies chased him.
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Shortly after the attack, the European force Atalanta allowed one of its military ships to be chased THE MV Abdullah left towards the Somali coast. At the same time, the Indian Navy also deployed a boat and a patrol aircraft. Several attempts to communicate with the Bangladeshi ship failed.
The pirates managed to enter Somali territorial waters. International navies remained in contact and were able to confirm that all 23 crew members were safe. The Atalanta force estimated that at least 12 pirates were on board.
On Thursday, the MV Abdullah first anchored 20 nautical miles from the coast, before moving closer and then turning north, perhaps in search of a safer area for pirates. Atalante issued an alert message to all ships attempting to pass through the Gulf of Aden, asking them to remain on heightened vigilance, to report within 700 miles of the coast.
According to the European force, incidents have increased since November 2023. The pirates began by boarding 18 traditional boats, dhows, seven of which are still detained. Twelve days later, pirates attacked merchant ships. Two are still under their control. One of them is currently moving away from the Somalia and may have been converted into a mother ship to launch offshore operations. On land, at least three locations that could serve as bases for pirates along the coast have been spotted, proof that the phenomenon is already well structured.
Read alsoPiracy: multiplication of incidents off the coast of Somalia, in the midst of a crisis in the Gulf of Aden