Monday, January 05, 2009

The French naval vessel "Jean de Vienne" was on patrol off the Somali coast as part of a European Union anti-piracy force when it came to the rescue of a Croatian cargo vessel and a Panamanian ship crossing the Gulf of Aden.

The 19 Somali pirates, armed and equipped with equipment to board the vessels, were captured and have been handed over to Somali authorities, the statement said.

The incident came three days after another French vessel captured eight Somali pirates who attacked a Panamanian registered vessel.

Piracy off Somalia, one of the world's busiest shipping areas, has soared over the past year, earning the pirates millions of dollars of ransom payments and pushing up maritime insurance rates.

The European Union set up an anti-piracy naval task force under British command last month involving warships and aircraft from several nations in the first such naval operation of its kind. (Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Sami Aboudi).

Source: Reuters, Jan 05, 2008

camel girl @ 1/6/2009 4:09 AM EST  We have new teachers and French never a challenge.  But America sold by what is his name? You better be good or you will face dirty the Djibouti girls are finding ground and France who the hell are you.  Just help hand to humanity clean.

simbe @ 1/5/2009 10:30 PM EST  Dad badan baa Puntland laga qalayaa. Puntland way diiday in Somali kala go'do.

Gacaliye@ @ 1/5/2009 10:12 PM EST  Only Kayse (SENSE LESS = SL) & other sheepherds from Gabiley village in north western SOMALIA can comment that cheaply.

Kayse-SL @ 1/5/2009 9:29 PM EST  You mean Puntland pirates? Not Somali, they always ruin the Somali name, first it was Ayan Hersi is Somali, then Abdullahi, now their pirates. HOL needs to refer them as "puntland pirates" because the other somalis know how to find a job or support themselves. Only in puntland they kidnap and hijack anything and everything even their own relatives from over seas which doesnt get reported.