Bangladeshi bulk carrier Abdullah was reported under attack by pirates in the vicinity of position lat 01 27 00N, long 054 53 00E, about 550 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Mar 12. According to reports, the pirates, who hijacked the vessel from the Indian Ocean on Mar 12, took the ship towards the Somali coast, with 23 sailors on board currently held hostage yesterday.

The hijacking occurred at approximately 1330 hrs, Bangladeshi time, as the vessel was transporting 50,000 tonnes of coal from Maputo, Mozambique, to Al Hamriyah in the UAE.

Meanwhile, Operation ATALANTA continues to monitor the piracy event involving the Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier merchant ABDULLAH. The event’s initial position was 600NM east of Mogadishu, Somalia. The last known position is 0641N-04719E, where the vessel is anchored.

Visual information gathered from ATALANTA, the merchant’s vessel, shows at least 12 confirmed alleged pirates on board the ship. However, the initial alert of the hijack pointed at a group of 20 armed people. The origin of the pirates taking part in this hijack may be the same as that of MV RUEN.

Three camps of alleged pirate groups have been identified in different areas in the North, Centre and South of the Somali Coast. From these camps, they support hijacking operations.

The situation on board remains the same; the crew has reported that it is safe, and the action is ongoing.

Operation ATALANTA is in contact with Bangladesh and Somali authorities and our partners in maritime security in the area to coordinate the most efficient action.