On 18 February, EUNAVFOR ATALANTA was informed of a suspected pirate attack on a Yemeni-flagged fishing boat off Garmaal, in the vicinity of Eyl, Northern coast of Puntland, Somalia.
According to the statement, EUNAVFOR ATALANTA is monitoring the event and coordinating closely with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and with the Yemeni Coast Guard. In addition, permanent contact is established with the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), one of the key Somali police forces in the fight against piracy.
The incident comes ten days after the pirate attack on the Yemeni-flagged dhow AL NAJMA, which was liberated on 13 February.
Operation ATALANTA strongly recommends merchant and other vulnerable vessels to register in the MSCIO’s Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS), to provide the most effective monitoring and response by ATALANTA forces and their partners in countering maritime security threats.
