Pirate Attack Confirmed Off the Coast of Somalia

A possible pirate attack off the coast of Somalia has been confirmed by Operation ATALANTA, the European Union's anti-piracy force in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

The confirmation comes after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Thursday that it received a report of a merchant vessel being boarded 420 nautical miles southeast of Merca, Somalia. UKMTO's statement said an unknown number of unauthorized people from two small craft were reported to have boarded the vessel.

A statement from Operation ATALANTA identified the ship as the Liberian-flagged general cargo vessel Basilisk, which was said to be attacked while sailing north approximately 380 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia.

An ATALANTA warship in the vicinity was the first to respond, and EUNAVFOR ATALANTA said it is "taking the appropriate actions to respond effectively and promptly to this alert".

Somali piracy raged from 2008 and 2018 but was largely dormant until late last year when activity resumed amid repeated drone and missile strikes by Yemen's Houthi militia in the Red Sea and other nearby waters.