On Saturday 27 July, a helicopter from an EU Naval Force warship overflew the pirate controlled fishing vessel Naham 3 and was able to confirm that the fishing vessel had become detached from the sunken MV Albedo and was steaming north along the Somali coast under her own power.
Latest photographs taken this morning by EU Naval Force show that FV Naham 3 is now being held at anchor close to the coast in the Galmudug region.
FV Naham 3 has been in armed pirate hands since it was pirated in the Indian Ocean on 26 March 2012. She had been tethered to MV Albedo, which was pirated in November 2010, for several months. MV Albedo sank in shallow waters on Sunday 7 July.
Recent aerial photographs have shown pirates wielding their weapons on the upper deck of FV Naham 3.
It is understood that negotiations are on-going between a hostage support programme and the pirates to try and secure the safe release of the hostages. The whereabouts of the hostages cannot be verified by EU Naval Force at this time.
[mappress] Press Release, July 29, 2013; Image: EU Navfor