EU Naval Force investigates reports on Somali pirates seizing ship

The European Union Naval Force has sent a maritime patrol aircraft to the coast of Somalia to investigate reports that Somali pirates have seized a commercial vessel, a spokeswoman for the force said Tuesday.

“The aircraft is en route,” she told dpa. “We don’t know what happened. We are not categorizing it as a piracy incident at this time.”

The spokeswoman said the ship was flagged in Sri Lanka. She was unable to confirm reports that it was carrying fuel to Somalia.

The force known as EU Navfor runs anti-piracy operations in the area, where piracy flourished until security was tightened in 2012.

eblnews.com