🔗 Share this article European Union Naval Forces Free Crew Following Somali Pirate Attack on Oil Tanker The Hellas Aphrodite was captured by armed attackers on recently European Union maritime units have safely freed 24 sailors from a Malta-registered oil tanker that was targeted by sea robbers off the coast of Somali waters. The Hellas Aphrodite, which was carrying petrol from Indian ports to South Africa, was taken over on the recent incident when heavily armed attackers began shooting with automatic weapons and explosive projectiles before taking control of the vessel. The crew locked themselves inside a secure safe room while the pirates took control of the ship. Successful Rescue Operation A naval vessel, functioning under the European Union's maritime security operation, reached the ship on Friday afternoon. Elite military units boarded the craft and found all two dozen sailors safe and sound. "All personnel is secure and no harm have been reported. Throughout the incident, they stayed in the secure area in direct contact with the operation," officials stated, adding that a "demonstration of power" had convinced the attackers to leave the ship before the naval unit reached the location. Ongoing Threat Officials added that the threat risk in the region "remains critical" as the pirates are continue to be in the vicinity. The rescue operation utilized a aircraft, drone and reconnaissance plane. Just hours earlier, another ship in the same area was approached by a small speedboat but successfully avoided it. Return of Maritime Crime This incident represents the most recent in a spate of incidents that have created concern about a renewal of maritime crime in the area. Piracy operations had decreased when global maritime security and protective protocols were introduced after reaching their highest point more than a ten years past. Nevertheless, assaults by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea, which have been carried out for the past two years, have caused ships to be diverted through East Africa's Indian Ocean - creating new opportunities for Somali gangs. Incident Data Seven reported incidents of piracy occurred off the coast of the Somali region in the previous year Several vessel takeovers were recorded among these incidents A single case of piracy was noted in the preceding year Industry professionals are closely watching the developments as shipping companies travel through these increasingly dangerous shipping lanes.