🔗 Share this article European Union Naval Forces Free Sailors Following Somali Piracy Incident on Vessel The Hellas Aphrodite was seized by pirates on recently EU naval forces have successfully rescued two dozen crew members from a Maltese-flagged oil tanker that was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The Hellas Aphrodite, which was transporting fuel from India to South Africa, was taken over on the recent incident when armed pirates began shooting with machine guns and explosive projectiles before taking control of the vessel. All sailors locked themselves inside a fortified citadel while the attackers assumed command of the marine transport. Mission Accomplished A naval vessel, functioning under the European Union's maritime security operation, arrived at the ship on Friday afternoon. Special forces entered the vessel and found all 24 crew members safe and sound. "The crew is secure and no injuries have been reported. Throughout the ordeal, they stayed in the secure area in direct contact with command center," authorities announced, noting that a "show of force" had convinced the attackers to leave the vessel before the naval unit reached the location. Ongoing Threat Authorities added that the threat risk in the region "continues to be serious" as the armed groups are still in the area. The mission involved a aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle and reconnaissance plane. Just hours earlier, a different vessel in the same area was approached by a small speedboat but successfully avoided it. Return of Maritime Crime This event marks the latest in a spate of attacks that have created concern about a resurgence of maritime crime in the region. Such activity had decreased when global maritime security and security measures were implemented after peaking more than a ten years past. However, attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea, which have been conducted for the recent period, have led vessels to be rerouted through the African coastline - creating new possibilities for Somali gangs. Statistical Overview Seven reported incidents of piracy took place off the coast of the Somali region last year Three hijackings were recorded among these events Only one incident of piracy was reported in the preceding year Maritime security experts continue to monitor the situation as vessel operators travel through these increasingly dangerous waters.