EU naval force nears ship seized by pirates off Somali coast
Operation Atalanta is deploying to assist the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite, hijacked by Somali pirates, endangering 24 mariners and prompting regional warnings.
Armed assailants illegally boarded the Maltese-flagged Hellas Aphrodite off Somalia, firing small arms and RPGs while crew sheltered safely in the ship's citadel.