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Koreans and Europeans thwart an attack in the Gulf

(B2 / Summer Brief) After a combined EU-Japan action (see below), it is with the South Korean ship of the CTF151, Daejoyoung, that EUNAVFOR ships and helicopters responded on Wednesday morning August 26 to the emergency call from the Italian ship MV Southern Cross, attacked by a skiff with 5 people on board 80 nautical miles south of Al Mukkala (Position 13.09 North, 48.45 East). Several shots are fired in the direction of the cockpit. However, the merchant ship managed, by various maneuvers, to lose its pursuers. The skiff gives up pursuit and flees south (looking for another target). EUNAVFOR's Norwegian frigate Fridtjof Nansen and a South Korean helicopter approach. Shortly after, the Bremen, the German frigate of EUNAVFOR, also sends a helicopter in search of the pirate ship. In the afternoon, a suspicious boat was spotted. A visiting team from Fridtjof Nansen carries out a check, find weapons. But nothing enough to lead to prosecution. The Skiff is released at dusk.

The EU NAVFOR Norwegian warship HNOMS Fridtjof Nansen, in cooperation with a South Korean navy helicopter from CTF 151 responded to an emergency call from the Italian MV Southern Cross, in the late morning of 26 August. The Southern Cross was transiting the Gulf of Aden, some 80 nautical miles south of Al Mukkala. The skiff with five people on board broke off the attack after having fired several shots at the pilot house of Southern Cross and escaped to the south. The attack was successfully thwarted by the Southern Cross itself. The EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Bremen also launched her helicopter to join the search for the pirate skiff. In the afternoon FGS Bremen's helicopter detected a suspicious skiff. HNOMS Fridtjof Nansen launched her fast rhibs with her boarding team and conducted a boarding. Weapons were seen thrown overboard. The skiff was released at dusk.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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