The European Union Naval Force says they have blown up an abandoned boat from which pirates had attempted to hijack a Hong Kong-flagged ship on the Indian Ocean.
Suspected pirates shot at the bulk carrier earlier this month, but the attack was unsuccessful.
The force says the boat was destroyed to deter further attacks. The abandoned boat was tracked to a small boy by an EU warship that had been patrolling the Indian Ocean.
Tools usually used by pirates were found on board. Piracy off the coast of Somalia has fallen drastically over the last 10 years, largely due to the presence of the EU and NATO warships in the Indian Ocean. There has not been a successful attack for over a year and a half.