Third attack foiled for De Grasse

(BRUSSELS2) The flagship of the European anti-piracy operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta, the De Grasse, flushed out a new suspicious skiff in the Gulf of Aden on the evening of August 19, Atalanta HQ announced. It was a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft that gave the alert, having spotted a dhow and a skiff nearby in the international corridor (IRTC). This one was about 50 nautical miles away.

Le De Grasse flew his Lynx helicopter, donated his machinery and launched a RHIB with a boarding party. On board the suspect skiff, the French soldiers found six men as well as a whole set of pirate gear. The material was seized. And the suspects embarked aboard the De Grasse, for a more thorough check. They were then released and put back on board the skiff, relieved, direction: Somalia. There is no significant evidence that can bring them to court.

(shift) Meanwhile, the USS Princeton- of CTF 151 intercepted the dhow which could serve as a mother ship.

This is the third time in three days that the De Grasse apprehend suspects. The day before, alerted by a merchant ship to the suspicious presence of a skiff on its aft port side, the helicopter had also intervened. And Tuesday, August 17, also (1). This type of operation - even if it leads to releases - disrupts the action of pirates and has a preventive role: preventing one or two attacks, we explain at European level.

(1) Read: Suspicious pirates arrested by the De Grasse

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)