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Latest piracy news (June 16, 2013)

(BRUSSELS)

The burnt sailors join the ambulance waiting for them at the foot of the gangway. (Spanish Navy)
The burnt sailors join the ambulance waiting for them at the foot of the gangway. (Spanish Navy)

Evacuation of two injured sailors

The Spanish Frigate Numancia intervened on Friday (June 7) to come to the aid of two Filipino sailors who suffered burns to their hands and faces after a fire in the engine room of their tanker, the MT-Pearl, and evacuated them to Port Victoria Hospital in the Seychelles. This is the Australian frigate"HMAS Newcastlefrom Task Force 150, which first responded to the alert. And cared for the injured. But as she could not proceed with the evacuation of the wounded, the command of Task Force 150 asked if the "Numancia" could take charge of the evacuation. The Spanish frigate then collected the wounded on board. Treated by the medical team on board, they were rehydrated, placed under observation and stabilized until their arrival in Port-Victoria , Sunday (June 9). They were then expected by the EUNAVFOR liaison officer on the island and an ambulance. However, they insisted on walking down the gangway to join the ambulance. Numancia had already carried out an evacuation of number 2 of the auxiliary ship "Fort Victoria".

Mauritius: judgment in the fall

The trial of the twelve Somalis arrested at the beginning of the year, suspected of acts of piracy, before the Mauritian courts should begin in September. Summoned before the prosecutor, the twelve suspects denied any involvement in piracy and pleaded not guilty, believing that they were simple fishermen.

Return to the country for the Zr Ms De Ruyter

From bemanning van Zr. Ms. De Ruyter staat aangetreden op de kade na terugkeer in Den Helder. Photo: Ministerie van Defensie
(Credit: Dutch Navy)

After a successful participation in the anti-piracy operation Atalanta, the Dutch frigate Zr Ms De Ruyter returned to her home port of Den Helder on Saturday (June 8). The ship left in early February for the Gulf of Aden and the Somali basin. Primary mission: the protection and escort of ships sailing for the World Food Program. The captain of the ship took stock of 4 months at sea: nine suspected pirates were arrested and brought to justice and 20 suspicious ships questioned. In addition, the Dutch frigate also participated in the release of a dhow hijacked by pirates, the Saad 1. Not to mention, the patrols carried out along the Somali coast, which made it possible to bring back " valuable information on coastal activities and lifestyles ". In total, the Zr Ms De Ruyter traveled 33.916 nautical miles. But it was also the first operational mission for the helicopter on board, the NH90. A helicopter that held up well in the hot and humid conditions of the Indian Ocean and flew 232 hours.

Five sailors released off Nigeria

The pirates freed on Thursday (June 6) or Friday (June 7) - depending on the version - five Pakistani sailors kidnapped during an attack on an oil tanker two weeks ago. On May 25, eight armed pirates had effectively stormed the Nigerian-flagged MT Matrix. Using their weapons, they had rounded up various goods and the belongings of the sailors, and kidnapped the five men. This is about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Bayelsa State, an oil-rich area popular with pirates and armed gangs of all kinds.

Training Tanzanian forces

Taking advantage of a visit stopover in the port of Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), the French frigate FS Nivose - which takes part in the European anti-piracy operation (EUNAVFOR Atalanta) organized training for the Tanzanian navy on June 3, on the basis of training given by its compatriots from FS Guépratte Few days ago. Twelve sailors from the Tanzanian Coast Guard were thus able to follow a demonstration of the methods used by French Navy visit teams to stop and search a suspicious vessel and its crew. Also on the program: a demonstration of the methods used to disarm suspicious crews carrying weapons. This event was organized by the EU Naval Force Liaison Officer in Kenya and Tanzania.

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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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