French forces swoop on pirates off Somali coast
APA
January 3, 2009
London (United Kingdom) According to European Union sources, French forces on Saturday, swooped on "suspected" Somali pirates, accused of attempting to hijack a cargo vessel off the Somali coast.
Officials say the eight men were intercepted by Premier Maitre L’Her, a French frigate patrolling the waters as part of an EU taskforce.
The pirates have been handed over to Puntland, a state in north-eastern Somalia, according to officials.
EU officials say another set of armed pirates had escaped.
The Somali pirates armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades were said to have attempted repeatedly to board a Greek oil tanker Kriti Episkopi.
But the pirates fled when the crew turned fire hoses on them and EU aircraft were called from a naval flotilla, officials said.