Two people were taken hostage aboard the Liberian-flagged container vessel Odysseus off the coast of the Algarve, Portugal. The incident was reported to the Portuguese authorities on Wednesday night 3rd September, and an operation was launched to rescue the hostages.
Portuguese media have reported that the vessel was travelling from Galicia in Spain to Malaga, Andalusia and had recently departed from Vigo. Armed men were reported to have entered the vessel and taken two hostages who were confined to the engine room of the vessel.
The motives of the armed men are also unknown, however, it is being conjectured that the attack could be related to drug trafficking.
The Portuguese Navy reportedly mobilized several resources and dispatched a team aboard a helicopter. Portuguese media reports indicate that the hostages were successfully rescued and that the attackers have fled the scene and are currently at large.
