The BCR Somme attacked by pirates. Again ! (shift)

(BRUSSELS2) The French supply ship BCR Somme which is part of the European anti-piracy operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta and is also attacked by pirates on the night of 19 to 20 April. A singular misunderstanding... which is not the first. This is the second time that the BCR - which is also the command ship of the Alindien (1) - has been attacked. The first time was in October 2009. It was then under the national flag. The operation then resulted in the arrest of 5 pirates and their subsequent conviction by the courts of Puntland (autonomous region of Somalia) to 5 years in prison. According to my accounts, this is the ninth pirate attack against a military vessel in a year (11 if you count the two Maersk ships chartered by the US Navy). That makes a lot...

According to what the soldiers report, the Somme sailors responded with warning shots to the attack. The pirates then fled, each boat taking a separate route. The crew of the Somme set off in pursuit. He first fell, quickly (in less than an hour) on a mother ship, which was intercepted, with 2 suspects on board with piracy equipment (ladders, ammunition...). Then a skiff was found a few hours later and intercepted with 4 other suspects. The 6 pirates were placed on board the BCR Somme and the mother ship destroyed.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(1) The Alindien is currently still at sea