NAIROBI - The European Union, which had vowed to take a tougher stand against the scourge of Somali piracy, took the fight to the pirates’ home base for the first time Tuesday, destroying several of their signature fiberglass skiffs pulled up on the beach in a notorious pirate den.
The Europeans fired from combat helicopters, with forces never actually landing in Somalia, and European officials said it was likely there would be more strikes in the future.
“This is a fantastic opportunity,’’ said Lieutenant Commander Jacqueline Sherriff, a spokeswoman for the European Union’s antipiracy force. “What we want to do is make life more difficult for these guys.’’
In Xarardheere, the pirate den that was attacked, the reaction to the strike was mixed. Some residents spoke of the deep unease they felt over the past few days as aircraft believed to be European spy planes buzzed over town and patrol boats spied from offshore, apparently in preparation for the raid.
Residents also said that the EU helicopters that had strafed the pirate skiffs, which the pirates call their hunting boats, also destroyed several wooden sailboats sometimes used by the pirates to ferry supplies to captured ships.
In March, the European Union toughened its antipiracy mandate to allow forces patrolling the Indian Ocean to attack Somali bases on land. Before that, the forces were allowed to pursue pirates only at sea.