Six suspected Somali pirates have been detained for allegedly attacking a container ship and a fishing vessel with rocket propelled grenades.

The arrests were made on Sunday by the Italian naval vessel Virginio Fasan, which is operating in the region as part of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR).

The attacks reportedly took place over a 24 hour period between the 17 and 18 November in the Southern Somali Basin, in an area known for piracy incidents.