Crew Remains Hostage on the Hijacked Abdullah

A security vessel engaged in a confrontation with pirates aboard the hijacked Bangladeshi ship Abduallah on the night of Wednesday (13 March), as reported by one of the crew members.

This crew member communicated with his family in Bangladesh via WhatsApp, indicating that the security vessel likely belonged to the navy of a nearby country.

The security forces demanded the pirates release the ship and its hostages, but the pirates responded with threats to kill the crew if the security vessel approached the hijacked ship, the crew member conveyed.

Following this exchange, the naval ship maintained a distance of 20 nautical miles from the captured vessel, which eventually reached the coast of Somalia and stayed there.

The crew member revealed, "The pirates will now hand over us to another group," expressing concerns over the inability to maintain further contact. He disclosed that the incoming group consisted of 19 pirates, taking over from the 50 pirates who had initially boarded and then departed from the ship.

Simultaneously, the European Union's maritime security arm, the EU Naval Force, acknowledged on Wednesday that it was tracking the kidnapped Bangladeshi vessel's progression towards the Somali coastline.

The EU issued a statement declaring, "Currently one ATALANTA ship is shadowing the pirate vessel. Moreover, Operation ATALANTA is liaising with Bangladesh and Somali governments, alongside partners in maritime security such as the Indian Navy and regional forces, to strategize the most effective response. The present condition is that pirates have commandeered the vessel, taking its 23 crew members hostage. Although the crew remains unharmed, the situation is still developing, and the ship is navigating towards the Somali coast."

As of the latest updates, the ship's owner has yet to receive any communication from the hijackers.