Tuesday, January 27, 2009
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PARIS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - A French frigate has arrested nine Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, an army spokesman said on Tuesday, part of international efforts to fight gangs that hijack commercial vessels in busy shipping lanes.Including Tuesday's arrests, France has captured 57 pirates in seven such operations since last April, spokesman Christophe Prasuk said. Previous captives have been handed over to French or Somali authorities, and France has yet to decide how to proceed with the nine, he added.
Acts of piracy jumped 11 percent in 2008, driven by an unprecedented series of attacks by Somalis in the Gulf of Aden, the International Maritime Bureau said earlier this month.
The attacks have sent insurance costs for ships soaring and have prompted the United States and the European Union to deploy air and naval forces. Around 20 warships from 14 different countries are now patrolling the area. (Reporting by Sophie Hardach; editing by Elizabeth Piper).
Source: Reuters, Jan 27, 2009