⁍ British special forces stormed a Greek-operated oil tanker in the English channel on Sunday to wrestle control from stowaways.

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⁍ Troops from the Special Boat Service, a navy special forces unit, boarded the Nave Andromeda near the Isle of Wight off southern England.

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⁍ The defence ministry declined to confirm or deny the involvement of the SBS.

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⁍ Thousands of illegal economic migrants and would-be asylum seekers have sought to cross the English Channel from France to reach British shores this year.

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– British special forces stormed a Greek-operated oil tanker in the English channel on Sunday to wrestle control of the vessel from seven stowaways who had threatened the crew in a suspected hijacking. Troops from the Special Boat Service, a navy special forces unit whose headquarters in just a few miles away from where the vessel began showing signs of distress, boarded the Nave Andromeda near the Isle of Wight off southern England. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel authorized the armed forces to board the ship “to safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking,” the defense ministry said. “Armed forces have gained control of the ship and seven individuals have been detained,” the ministry said. “Initial reports confirm the crew are safe and well.’ The defense ministry declined to confirm or deny the involvement of the Special Boat Service—in line with British government policy of not commenting on special forces operations—but a source with knowledge of the matter said the SBS were involved. SBS operations are usually classified. Former Royal Navy warfare officer Chris Parry said the SBS had been involved. The navy’s Special Boat Service, considered a sister unit to the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), is one of Britain’s most secretive special forces units. An elite maritime counter-terrorism unit, the SBS traces its history back to World War II and has been involved in many of the conflicts of the past 70 years including Afghanistan and Iraq. It was not immediately clear where the stowaways were from or what their intentions were.