DANISH NAVY FOILS PIRATE ATTACK, KILLS 4 SUSPECTS IN GULF OF GUINEA
The Danish Military on Thursday announced that its frigate warship has killed four pirates at the Southern Nigerian Corridor in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Esbern Snare was deployed last month to the Gulf of Guinea to curb a heightened security threats from pirates around the troubled waters.
The pirates reportedly met their Waterloo on Wednesday after being spotted in a fast-moving vessel conveying eight of them near a number of commercial ships, the Danish Military said.
Exact location of engagement was said to be at 25 to 30 Nautical Miles South of Nigeria's territorial boundary, on international waters, a spokesman for the Danish Military said.
"The motorboat, spotted by a helicopter deployed by the frigate, was carrying equipment associated with piracy, including ladders."
"After the frigate fired warning shots, the pirates opened fire on Danish Navy Special Forces, who in turn shot and killed four pirates and wounded one", the Danish Military said in a statement.
The other four pirates were taken on board the frigate, and no Danish personnel were hurt in the incident, the Danish Military said.
The Spokesman for the Danish Military also said it was the first time the frigate had opened fire on pirates since inception of its current mission in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Gulf of Guinea is a stretch of internal waters around the West African Coasts comprising of Countries covering more than fifteen countries.
The GoG has been been a notorious stretch occupied by pirates for many years. This has resulted to joint patrols in the area, supported by some Western European and Northern Armerican countries in particular.
Reuters reported that "American, British, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Navies have also sent assistance, ships or training forces over the past year to tackle piracy after a record 130 sailors were taken from vessels in the region in 2020."
However, Piracy and armed robbery incidents reportedly dropped to 28 from 46 in the first 3Qs of 2021, compared to 2020, according to the International Maritime Bureau, (IMB).
The Danish Miliary statement confirmed that the frigate will operate in the region until April next year, 2022.
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