The Amsterdam destroyed a pirate mother ship
(BRUSSELS2) The Hr. Ms Amsterdam - a Dutch supply ship taking part in Operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta - destroyed a whaler (which could serve as a mother ship) belonging to a pirate group on 22 September.
The boat had been spotted after several aerial reconnaissances in the vicinity of a pirate camp on the Somali coast - at the same time as the pirate group tailed by the Spanish amphibious ship Galicia. Followed by the Amsterdam helicopter, it was then boarded by two fast boats - with Marine Commandos on board. They proceeded to search the whaler.
On board were 4 people and above all all the equipment of the perfect pirate and large quantities of fuel, enough to cover more than 2000 km! Questioned aboard the Amsterdam, the 4 suspects got off with a warning. They were then released and dropped off on the Somali coast.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)