Somali pirates arrested by Swedish navy forces

The Swedish Armed Forces have confirmed that a Swedish naval patrol in the Gulf of Aden arrested seven pirates caught operating the region. Crewmembers from the HMS Malmo apprehended the Somali pirates as they tried to board a Greek cargo ship outside of Yemen.

The Local reports that the HMS Malmo responded to a distress signal stating the Greek ship was being shot at by two boatloads of pirates using rocket-propelled grenades. HMS Malmo arrived just as the pirates were trying to get onboard the Greek ship.

The Swedish Armed Forces stated the HMS Malmo fired warning shots at the pirates using machine guns, sniper fire, and cannons in an effort to deter the attack. The tactic worked, and the pirates fled the scene. But the HMS Malmo chased one of the two boats, catching them after a 20-minute chase in the Gulf of Aden.

Seven pirates were apprehended and taken to Djibouti, where their fate will soon be decided by the European Union’s NAVFOR-Atalanta mission command. A current agreement between Kenya and the EU states that all pirates arrested by EU forces must be taken to Kenya for trial.

Swedish naval forces began a new tour of duty in the Gulf of Aden on 15 May. Their main task is to monitor the transportation of UN food aid to Somalia, but they are also allowed to intercept attacks when needed. At present, Sweden has the HMS Malmo, HMS Stockholm, and a support vessel carrying 152 personnel in total on duty in the Gulf of Aden.