The EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA seized and destroyed a Pirate Action Group (PAG) whaler off the Somali coast on Sunday 28 October 2018. The whaler was tracked down by an investigation of the EU NAVFOR after it attacked the KSL Sydney, a Hong-Kong-flagged Bulk Carrier. It was identified thanks to a Spanish Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA).
The EU NAVFOR operations are backed by UN Security Council Resolutions and they comply with international law to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea. Since its launch in 2008, Operation Atalanta has contributed to reduce the piracy off the coast of Somalia and to ensure the protection of humanitarian aid deliveries coming by sea to the Somali people. This summer, the mission was extended until the end of 2020.
