The F-100 frigate ‘Méndez Núñez’ boards the suspect pirate ship ‘Al-Hasan’

On February 27th, at dawn, the Spanish frigate ‘Méndez Núñez’ (F-104) boarded the Indian registered Boum-type merchant ship ‘Al-Hasan’, included in the list of suspicious vessels engaged in pirate activities.

The Indian ship was allegedly connected with the attacks against the merchant ships ‘Agristi’ and ‘Torm Kristina’ in the Gulf of Oman on December 15th last. Since then, the ship was being tracked by Atalanta warships and was even boarded once, but without conclusive evidence.

On February 26th, the U.S. Navy frigate ‘Nicholas’ set sail in pursuit of the suspected vessel after departing from the north Somali port of Bossasso. At night, the Spanish frigate ‘Méndez Núñez’ took over and tracked the ‘Al-Hasan’. The vessel was boarded at dawn.

The information gathered on this occasion was significant. The captain of the Indian ship acknowledged that his ship had been hijacked by seven pirates after departing from Bossasso and forced him to proceed towards the Gulf of Oman. In those waters the oilers ‘Agristi’ and ‘Torm Kristina’ were unsuccessfully attacked and the pirates subsequently abandoned the ship. The ‘Al-Hasan’ proceeded then to her next port of call: Kuwait.

Since last December, the frigate ‘Méndez Núñez’ is deployed in the Indian Ocean as part of the EU operation Atalanta against piracy in the area.

The F-104 is also the command ship of the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR). It is the fourth time Spain takes command of the operation since its activation in 2008.