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French marines repel new pirate attack on trawlers
Nairobi, France (AFP) Oct 13, 2009 French marines on board two tuna trawlers in the Indian Ocean opened fire to repel a dawn pirate attack on Tuesday, the second such incident in a week, the ships' owner said. Shipping firm Saupiquet said marines fired warning shots at two pirate skiffs pursuing the trawlers, Via Avenir and Via Mistral, travelling together some 500 nautical miles (900 kilometres) from the Somali coast. The company, based in France's western Brittany region, said the launches, carrying four or five pirates, appeared to have dropped the chase. The two ships are part of a 10-strong French tuna fleet currently operating in the pirate-infested waters off Somalia under the protection of a 60-strong squad of marines. On Saturday, the marines opened fire after a trawler came under attack north of the Seychelles, where coastguards later captured two pirate vessels with a total of 11 pirates on board but later released them "for lack of proof", to the anger of tuna fishermen in the region. It was the first time the marines had opened fire on pirates. The two tuna trawlers attacked Tuesday were returning from a port call at Mahe, the main island in the Seychelles archipelago and were heading back into fishing grounds. A western source on board a vessel in the area said the skiffs "were hidden under a blue tarpaulin, most likely for camouflage" and when they sighted the tuna haulers "they removed the tarpaulin and raced to catch them". The same source said the boats could well have taken part in Saturday's attack as the two incidents happened in roughly the same area. The French anti-piracy operation was put in place at the request of ship owners and is distinct from both the European Union and NATO anti-piracy operations in the region. Spanish fishing vessels operating in the same region have called for similar protection measures but Madrid has so far refused. Somali pirates are currently holding four foreign vessels and 111 seamen, according to environmental protection group Ecoterra International. There have been 174 such attacks since the start of the year, 49 of them successful hijackings. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links 21st Century Pirates
French navy hands over Somali pirates to PuntlandParis (AFP) Oct 12, 2009 France's navy Monday handed over five Somali pirates, accused of attacking La Somme flagship in the Indian Ocean six days ago, to officials in Somalia's Puntland region, a French naval spokesman said. "The five pirates were released this afternoon from La Somme to Puntland authorities, close to the port of Bossaso," Admiral Christophe Prazuck told AFP. Somali pirates tried to attacked ... read more |
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