Four dead and one wounded. This is the tragic outcome of the exchange of fire that took place off the coast of Nigeria between the Danish Navy and eight alleged pirates.
It all began yesterday afternoon after a “suspicious” motorboat was sighted by a helicopter from the frigate, the Esbern Share, 25 nautical miles off the Nigerian coast. According to the reconstruction provided by the navy, the “pirates” violently responded to the special forces personnel’s request for identification.
Intimidated to stop their engines so the necessary controls could be carried out, the crew on the motorboat responded by opening fire. There were no casualties among the Danish special force team but five assailants were hit, four of them fatally and one seriously wounded.
Denmark’s defense command said an inter-ministerial workgroup will determine what happened to the suspects.
The Gulf of Guinea continues to be particularly dangerous for seafarers. According to the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce, 32% of all piracy incidents reported in the first half of 2021 occurred in this region.
Translation by Giles Foster
