update on Habar-gidir Hawiye Jehadist barbaric pirates,
EU naval forces have conducted their first raid on pirate bases on the Somali mainland, saying they have destroyed several boats.The EU forces were transported by helicopter to the pirate bases near the port of Haradhere. Anti-piracy forces have been reluctant to attack mainland bases, fearing for the crew of captured ships.Somalia-based pirates have seized vessels across the Indian Ocean and demand huge ransoms for their release.They are believed to be holding about 17 ships and 300 crew.The latest incident involves the Greek-owned oil tanker Smyrni which was hijacked in the Arabian Sea last week.The Liberian-flagged tanker carrying 135,000 tonnes of oil is reported to be heading for Somalia.
EU naval forces have conducted their first raid on pirate bases on the Somali mainland, saying they have destroyed several boats.The EU forces were transported by helicopter to the pirate bases near the port of Haradhere. Anti-piracy forces have been reluctant to attack mainland bases, fearing for the crew of captured ships.Somalia-based pirates have seized vessels across the Indian Ocean and demand huge ransoms for their release.They are believed to be holding about 17 ships and 300 crew.The latest incident involves the Greek-owned oil tanker Smyrni which was hijacked in the Arabian Sea last week.The Liberian-flagged tanker carrying 135,000 tonnes of oil is reported to be heading for Somalia.
The
EU recently agreed to expand Operation Atalanta to allow forces to
attack land targets as well as those at sea, and this is the first time
its forces have used the new rules to attack a base on the mainland.
The attack was carried out overnight and, according to the European forces, no Somalis were hurt during the action.The
multinational forces used helicopters in conjunction with two warships
to leave five of the pirates’ fast attack craft “inoperable”.The European naval mission issued a statement
saying: “The focused, precise and proportionate action was conducted
from the air and all forces returned safely to EU warships on
completion”.
A spokesman added that the operation was carried out
with the full support of the Somali government after extensive
surveillance, and the aim was to deny the pirates a save haven onshore.Military
vessels from Nato countries, the US, China, Russia, Japan and India are
also involved in patrolling an area of ocean which is about the same
size as western Europe Two decades of war in Somalia have left the country without a fully-functioning government making it hard to deal with piracy.
The
transitional government controls the capital Mogadishu, but Al-Shabaab
militants hold many southern and central areas of the country.
Source: BBC
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