- Title: KENYA: French navy hands over 11 piracy suspects to Kenyan authorities
- Date: 9th May 2009
- Summary: MOMBASA, KENYA (MAY 08, 2009) (REUTERS) FRENCH FRIGATE 'NIVOSE' DOCKS AT MOMBASA PORT FRENCH NAVY OFFICERS ON GUARD WITH FIREARMS TUG BOAT PUSHING SHIP TO BERTH KENYA PORTS AUTHORITY WORKERS ASSISTING IN DOCKING THE SHIP FRENCH NAVY OFFICERS PULLING ROPES AS THE SHIP DOCKS FRENCH NAVY OFFICERS ON GUARD ABOARD THE SHIP FRENCH NAVY OFFICERS PULLING A ROPE VARIOUS EUROPEAN M
- Embargoed: 24th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAARE16M8IEARNZFG0G1H8KWREK
- Story Text: French navy forces handed over 11 suspected Somali pirates to Kenyan authorities at the port of Mombasa on Friday (May 08).
The pirates attempted an attack on a French naval ship, which they mistook for a commercial vessel.
The French navy seized the suspected pirates, who were in three small boats, 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.
Heavily-armed Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks on vessels in Indian Ocean shipping lanes and the Gulf of Aden, capturing dozens of vessels, kidnapping hundreds of hostages and raking in millions of dollars in ransoms.
"They tried to attack what they were thinking as a civilian ship but in fact it was my ship, because they were looking towards the sun side of the ship and you only see a black shape and if you are not sure then you don't imagine it was a military ship," said Chief Executive Officer of the French Frigate Captain Jean Marc Le Quilliec moments after handing over the suspects.
The pirates were using two small boats and a "mother" ship which is used to transport supplies such as petrol, water and food.
The commandos also found guns and rockets on the boats.
Captain Le Quilliec said the pirates had been watching the French ship from a distance before they decided to go in for their attack.
"At the beginning they were 6-7 nautical miles from the ship and they closed up to 3.5 nautical miles," said Le Quilliec.
Piracy has disrupted delivery of U.N. aid supplies, driven up insurance costs and forced some firms to consider routing cargo between Europe and Asia around South Africa instead.
Naval forces from the United States, Europe and Asia have been deployed to protect merchant ships.
There have been 97 attempted attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden in 2009, 27 of which have been successful, according to the U.S. Navy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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