Hamburg Freighter Freed from Pirates Off Somalia

A cargo ship under German direction was freed from the clutches of pirates off the coast of Somalia. The 'Basilisk' from the Hamburg shipping company Minship was en route northward in the Indian Ocean when pirates hijacked the ship near the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Thanks to the swift intervention of a nearby warship of the EU naval operation Atalanta, an escalation was prevented. The incident occurred late Thursday evening. About 700 kilometers east of Mogadishu, the pirates managed to board the 160-meter-long multi-purpose freighter and take control. The Atalanta Operational Headquarters, based in Rota, Spain, confirmed on Friday that the 17 members of the ship's crew could be rescued. One crew member suffered injuries but is out of danger. The rescue operation was effectively organized by a warship patrolling the piracy-prone zone. With the help of marines who rappelled onto the 'Basilisk' from an accompanying helicopter, the situation was quickly brought under control. The EU mission Atalanta has been active in the area since 2008 to protect the routes of international shipping from such attacks and to keep the waterways safe. Despite the presence of the European naval mission, the recurring attacks indicate that piracy in the Indian Ocean remains a serious threat to maritime security.