Italian frigate stops pirate attack on Malta flagged ship
An Italian frigate came to the assistance of a Maltese flagged vessel which was under attack by pirates off Somalia this afternoon.
The frigate, the Maestrale, had to intervene to assist the Michael S, owned by Greek firm JME Navigation. The frigate first scrambled its helicopter when an Italian-owned gas tanker, the Neverland, was also threatened by pirates.
The pirates’ attacks will be made more difficult now with approaching monsoon seasons that make boarding high-sided ships more difficult.
Last week, a Maltese flagged bulk carrier with a crew of 24 on board was hijacked by Somali gunmen, the third attack on a Maltese flagged vessel in the past weeks. The ship, belonging to All Oceans shipping in Greece, is managed by London based Seven Seas Maritime. MT Ariana was seized north of Madagascar en route to the Middle East from Brazil.
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