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Paris, November 14, 2009 – The French navy captured 12 suspected pirates
off the coasts of Somalia and the Seychelles on Thursday, an army
spokesman said on Friday, as part of Europe's anti-piracy mission in the
area.
The French frigate Floreal captured a mothership carrying arms,
ammunition and fuel as well as two skiffs some 650 miles east of Hobyo
in Somalia and 500 miles to the northwest of the Seychelles, spokesman
Christophe Prazuck said.
Attacks on tuna boats and private yachts off the Seychelles have surged
in recent weeks as Somali pirates extend their range to evade navies
patrolling off the Horn of Africa.
France's defense ministry said in a statement that as part of Europe's
anti-piracy "Operation Atalanta", a patrol plane from Luxembourg had
guided the Floreal to some suspicious-looking boats on Wednesday.
The Floreal then chased the boats and captured their occupants.
Prazuck said France had not yet decided how to proceed with the
suspected pirates. In the past, pirates have at times been handed over
to authorities in the Seychelles or Kenya as lawless Somalia lacks the
means to prosecute them.
Source: Reuters
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