EU forces free crew after Somali pirate attack on tanker
European Union Naval Force
The Hellas Aphrodite was seized by pirates on Thursday
European Union naval forces have rescued 24 sailors from a Maltese-flagged oil tanker that was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
The Hellas Aphrodite, carrying petrol from India to South Africa, was seized on Thursday when armed pirates opened fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before boarding the vessel.
The crew locked themselves inside a fortified citadel while the attackers took control of the ship.
A Spanish warship, the ESPS Victoria, operating under the EU's anti-piracy mission Operation Atalanta, reached the tanker on Friday afternoon. Special forces boarded the vessel and found all 24 crew members unharmed.
"The crew is safe and no injuries ha...