Operation ATALANTA confirms the release of the 23 crew members of the Merchant Vessel ABDULLAH and the ship.

Operation ATALANTA was the first actor to respond to the hijacking of the vessel on 12 March, where one ATALANTA vessel, started shadowing the alleged pirated vessel. Throughout the 32 days of captivity of the sailors, Operation ATALANTA has been actively engaged monitoring the situation.

ATALANTA reaffirms its role as a key maritime security actor, providing timely and effective response to any security alert being a reference in the fight against piracy during the last 15 years in the Western Indian Ocean.

Update on piracy event involving the Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier merchant vessel Abdullah

Rota, 14 March 2024 – Operation ATALANTA continues monitoring the piracy event involving the Bangladesh-flagged Bulk carrier merchant vessel ABDULLAH. The position of the event initially was 600NM east of Mogadishu, Somalia. The last know position is 0641N-04719E where the vessel is anchored.

Visual information gathered from ATALANTA of the merchant vessel shows at least 12 confirm alleged pirates on board the ship although the initial alert of the hijack pointed at a group of 20-armed people. It is possible that the origin of the pirates taking part in this hijacked is the same as MV RUEN.

Three camps of alleged pirates groups have been identificated in different areas in the North, center and South of Somali Coast. From these camps they support hijacking operations.

The situation on board remains the same, the crew has reported to be safe, and the action is still ongoing.

Operation ATALANTA is keeping contact with Bangladesh and Somali authorities and with our partners in maritime security in the area to coordinate the most efficient action.

European Union Naval Force press release