The incident occurred on Thursday, November 6, when the merchant ship was allegedly boarded by five individuals armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), approximately 600 nautical miles (about 1,111 kilometers) off the coast of Somalia.
Following the piracy alert, the resources present in Operation ATALANTA were immediately mobilized to the location and, in a swift and coordinated action, managed to deter the pirates, preventing casualties and restoring safety to the crew of the merchant ship.
With this action, Portugal reaffirms its commitment to international maritime security and the protection of global trade routes, through active and exemplary participation in European Union missions.
Operation ATALANTA, by EUNAVFOR, currently involves ten members of the Portuguese Navy and has been contributing for over 15 years to ensuring the safety of navigation in the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea through the fight against piracy.