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🇮🇸 Iceland /Conflict & Security

Icelandic coast guard pursues vessel for over four hours before special forces board

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Iceland's coast guard ship Freyja pursued the vessel Bandero for over four hours before a special forces team could board and take control.
  • The pursuit began after Hval 9 reported being threatened by Bandero within Icelandic territorial waters.
  • The operation involved approximately 50 personnel and aimed to ensure the safety of those involved while attempting to halt Bandero's actions.

The Icelandic coast guard ship Freyja engaged in a pursuit of the vessel Bandero for more than four hours before a special forces team successfully boarded and took control of the ship. The operation unfolded after Hval 9 reported being threatened by Bandero within Icelandic territorial waters.

According to Ásgeir Erlendsson, spokesperson for the Icelandic Coast Guard, the incident began around 5:30 PM when the distress call was received. The coast guard vessel Freyja and a helicopter unit were dispatched. By 6:06 PM, inflatable boats from Freyja were launched towards Bandero. The ship was repeatedly asked to stop its actions, with Paul Watson's organizations sharing these messages on social media.

Bandero continued out of Faxaflói bay at 7:09 PM, with Freyja in pursuit. A helicopter carrying police special forces boarded Freyja at 7:35 PM. The coast guard's inflatable boat, carrying the special forces team, was launched at 11:13 PM, and by 11:19 PM, control of Bandero was confirmed to have been seized by the Icelandic Coast Guard and the special forces.

Erlendsson explained that the lengthy pursuit was due to the need to give Bandero's crew an opportunity to comply with the coast guard's requests and to ensure the safety of the response teams. "It is necessary to ensure safety and do things in a way that all aspects have been considered, and of course, Bandero must also be given an opportunity to stop its activities, stop the ship and follow the instructions of the Coast Guard. This was repeatedly attempted but not heeded," he said. The operation, described as complex and risky, involved approximately 50 people, including command center staff, operational personnel, and special forces officers.

Það þarf bæði að tryggja öryggi og gera hlutina þannig að búið sé að huga að öllum atriðum, og auðvitað þarf sömuleis að gefa Bandero tækifæri til þess að stöðva sína iðju, stöðva skipið og fylgja fyrirmælum Landhelgisgæslunnar. Það var ítrekað gert en ekki orðið við því

— Ásgeir ErlendssonExplaining the reasons for the extended pursuit of the vessel Bandero.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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