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bobdina
11-13-2009, 01:00 PM
French Navy Storms Pirate Ship, Arrests 12
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 13 Nov 2009 08:48

PARIS - French commandos stormed aboard a Somali pirate "mothership" and arrested 12 gunmen, the military announced Nov. 13, adding that the gangs are increasingly operating in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.

Tipped off by spotters on a Luxembourg maritime reconnaissance plane, the French frigate Floreal intercepted a dhow towing two motorized skiffs 500 nautical miles northwest of the Seychelles on Nov. 12.
A helicopter from the warship fired a warning shot across the vessel's bows as its crew began to throw incriminating material over the side. French troops boarded the ship and arrested the pirates without violence.

On board, they found grappling hooks, GPS navigation devices and assault rifles, said French military spokesman Adm. Christophe Prazuck.

"Last year or at the start of this one the center of gravity was in the Gulf of Aden," Prazuck said, referring to the straits between Arabia and the Horn of Africa that have become notorious for pirate attacks.

"The European team in place has significantly reduced the number of boats taken hostage. Though they still threaten the Gulf of Aden, the pirates have switched their activity further offshore into the Indian Ocean."

Prazuck said pirates were now striking in areas up to 800 nautical miles from their bases on the coast of Somalia, a lawless and largely ungoverned African state plagued by faction-fighting.

Several naval task forces now carry out anti-piracy patrols, including flotillas commanded by the European Union, NATO and the U.S. Floreal is fighting under EU colors as part of Operation Atalante.

Reactor-Axe-Man
11-14-2009, 03:32 AM
I'm glad that they got a mothership. They now need to cap this victory with a little impromptu SINKEX.

ghost
11-14-2009, 10:48 AM
Wow. That was fast. As soon as we found out that they might have some type of "mother ship" to launch their operations from, it gets taken down 3 days later.

nastyleg
11-15-2009, 11:57 PM
Quick reaction to take out these jawas was awesome.