The Spanish frigate Santa María is leading an EU patrol near the Bab el-Mandeb as ship crews face renewed piracy alongside regional conflicts.
The European Union’s Operation Atalanta is tracking a resurgence in piracy along the route between the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. Reporting from the Spanish frigate Santa María, the Associated Press described boarding drills and aerial surveillance near the Bab el-Mandeb, the strait linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea.
Portuguese Commodore José Rodrigues Pedra, Atalanta’s commander at sea, told AP that 79 pirate attacks had been recorded in the region since November 2023, with around 30 after the outbreak of the Iran war in February. He cautioned against drawing a direct link between the war and the attacks.
The danger to crews continues after a hijacking
Atalanta’s October update recorded four closed cases off northern Somalia and listed the tanker Asana as still under investigation. The force said Puntland Maritime Police conducted a September operation to recover the tanker Honour 25, seized in April. Five crew members died and two were injured during that operation.
The same update said the crew of the tanker Sibu 1 was reported safe after a separate Puntland operation. That ship had sent a distress call in August east of Al Mukalla, Yemen, before armed men reportedly took control and diverted it towards Somalia.
Two EU operations cover adjoining waters
Atalanta, established in 2008, uses ships and aircraft to monitor piracy risks and shares information with other naval forces. Its patrols cover the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. Operation Aspides, a separate EU mission, focuses on protecting merchant shipping in the Red Sea.
For ship operators using the corridor, the patrols offer surveillance and coordination across adjoining waters. AP reported that shipping companies have also responded by changing routes and tightening their own security as costs rise.
Sources
Associated Press — reporting aboard the Santa María and the patrol commander’s figures
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