"Early this morning Tuesday Aug. 3, the MV BOW SAGA sent a distress call
that she was under attack from pirates in the middle of the Gulf of Aden,"
the EU force said. "An EU NAVFOR unit close by sent her helicopter to assist
and stopped the attack."
The statement said a pirate skiff with seven people on board shot at the
bridge and damaged the windows of Bow. The tanker responded with
counter-measures that included the use of water hoses to prevent pirates
from boarding.
The EU force sent the Spanish Navy frigate SPS Victoria to respond to
the pirate attack. The statement said a helicopter from Victoria arrived at
the tanker 10 minutes after the distress call.
"The pirates stopped the attack and tried to flee," the EU said. "After
warning shots, first from the helicopter and then from the warship Victoria,
the pirates eventually stopped. The skiff was searched by a boarding team
from Victoria and weapons were subsequently found."
The EU mission was meant to escort merchant vessels carrying
humanitarian aid to Somalia and protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of
Aden and Indian Ocean. Officials said the force has also been monitoring
fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.
The EU force has been working with Yemen to foil piracy in the Gulf of
Aden. In June 2010, the EU sent a ship to Yemen for an exercise with the
Yemeni Coast Guard.
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