According to a recent press release, the European Union Naval Force Somalia — Operation ATALANTA has increased its Area of Operations (AOR). Although the release is not specific as to the extent of the increase, the extension is clearly further eastward into the Indian Ocean. This is where the Somali pirates have been operating increasingly in response to more effective anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden. The change in AOR will allow EUNAVFOR to “maintain pressure on the pirates and to continue to constrain their freedom of action.” According to the Operation Commander, Major General Buster Howes, “[t]his procedural change will allow EUNAVFOR units to operate more effectively further east in the Indian Ocean, giving them a greater ability to disrupt and deter pirates in this vast area.”
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