U.S. destroyer pursues pirates

waltky · 10-30-2007, 12:14 AM

Argh...

October 29, 2007 -- U.S. destroyer has entered Somali territorial waters to pursue ship; Pirates hijack ship carrying benzene off Somalia; benzene is highly flammable; U.S. destroyer working with permission of Somalia government

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A U.S. destroyer has entered Somali territorial waters in pursuit of a Japanese-owned ship loaded with benzene that was hijacked by pirates over the weekend, military officials said Monday. The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke entered Somali waters with the permission of the troubled transitional government in Mogadishu, U.S. officials said. In recent years, warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates.

The ongoing operation was confirmed to CNN by two military officials familiar with the details. Gunmen aboard two skiffs hijacked the Panamanian-flagged Golden Mori off the Socotra archipelago, near the Horn of Africa, said Andrew Mwangura, a spokesman for Kenya's Seafarers' Assistance Programme.

The Golden Mori radioed for help Sunday night. The Burke's sister ship, the USS Porter, opened fire and sank the pirate skiffs tied to its stern before the Burke took over shadowing the hijacked vessel. When the shots were fired, it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene. U.S. military officials indicate there is a great deal of concern about the cargo because it is so sensitive.

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Pirate attacks increase worldwide
October 17, 2007 -- Pirate attacks rise 14 percent in the first nine months of this year; Waters of Somalia and Nigeria see highest rise in attacks; Indonesia is worst piracy hotspot with 37 attacks in first nine months of 2007

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Pirate attacks worldwide jumped 14 percent in the first nine months of 2007, with the biggest increases off the poorly policed waters of Somalia and Nigeria, an international watchdog reported Tuesday. Reported attacks in Somalia rose rapidly to 26 up from eight a year earlier, the London-based International Maritime Bureau said through its piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. And some of those hijackings have turned deadly. "The seafaring industry is very concerned about this," said Cyrus Mody, a senior analyst with IMB. "There is absolutely no regard for law in that area. Not only is it not good for business in Africa, but it blocks humanitarian aid and is bad for the general stability of the continent."

The political instability in Somalia gave pirates "totally free rein without any sort of deterrence from the law," Mody said. "They've got a free hand right now." Somalia has had 16 years of violence and anarchy, and is now led by a government battling to establish authority even in the capital. Its coasts are virtually unpoliced. Piracy off Somalia increased this year after Ethiopian forces backing Somali government troops ousted an Islamic militia in December, said Andrew Mwangura, program coordinator of the Seafarers Assistance Program which independently monitors piracy in the region.

During the six months that the Council of Islamic Courts ruled most of southern Somalia, where Somali pirates are based, piracy abated, Mwangura said. At one point, the Islamic group said it was sending scores of fighters to crack down on pirates there. Islamic fighters even stormed a hijacked UAE-registered ship and recaptured it after a gunbattle in which pirates -- but no crew members -- were reportedly wounded. In May, pirates complaining their demands had not been met killed a crew member a month after seizing a Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel off Somalia's northeastern coast.

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waltky · 10-30-2007, 08:43 PM

Somali pirates strike No. Korean ship...

Pirates Attack North Korean Ship Off Somali Coast
October 30 2007 - Pirates sparked a deadly fight onboard a North Korean cargo ship today, according to the United States Navy.

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The Navy responded to a distress call from the Dai Hong Dan, which had been boarded by pirates while the crew was holed up in engineering and steering compartments. The destroyer USS James E Williams intercepted the ship and, via bridge-to-bridge radio communications, ordered the pirates to give up their weapons. It was at this time that Dai Hong Dan’s crew members stormed the ship’s bridge, initiating the bloody altercation that ended in the death of two pirates and the serious wounding of several crew members.

After the crew regained control of the ship, US Navy sailors boarded it to aid the wounded. Three seriously injured crew members were brought aboard the Williams for medical treatment. This is the second incident of piracy reported in the last few days off the coast of Mogadishu, Somalia. The US Navy is currently searching for pirates who commandeered a Japanese ship, and over the weekend a Panamanian ship was hijacked by gunmen near the Horn of Africa.

The US Navy is pursuing the pirates who hijacked the Panamanian ship into Somali waters. While warships usually observe the 12-mile coastal limit under international law, the Somali government has granted the US permission to pursue pirates into their domestic waters, according to US officials. Two weeks ago, the Associated Press reported that pirate attacks were up 14% over the first nine months this year. While the poorly policed waters off the coasts of Somalia and Nigeria saw the highest rise in attacks, Indonesia remains the worst piracy hotspot worldwide.

Pirates Attack North Korean Ship Off Somali Coast - ToTheCenter

waltky · 11-01-2007, 03:23 AM

Our Navy hot on their trail...

U.S. Navy Patrols the High Seas, Takes on Pirates
October 30, 2007 - A U.S. Navy destroyer provided medical assistance today to a North Korean cargo ship that had been overrun by pirates off the coast of Somalia, according to the Navy.

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While the pirates remain on board, the crew of the Dai Hong Dan say they were able to secure "the steering and engineering spaces of the ship" once the Navy arrived. Two pirates are dead and five captured, according to initial reports. Three crew mates are seriously injured and have been transferred onto the USS James W. Williams for medical attention. The Dai Hong Dan is only one of several vessels that have been targeted by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Piracy, once a common threat during the colonial era, has returned as "an ongoing maritime security and safety issue," according to the Navy. Currently, five ships are under pirates' control off the Somali coast, including Japan's Golden Nori, which the Navy is closely monitoring after being granted permission to enter Somali waters by the Mogadishu government. Once in sight of that vessel, the Navy fired on the dinghies (pictured), or small skiffs, used by the pirates to board the Japanese ship.

The U.S. Navy patrols the seas as part of the Combined Maritime Forces, based in Manama, Bahrain. Along with naval forces from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan and the U.K., the U.S. Navy patrols "more than 2.5 million square miles of international waters to conduct both integrated and coordinated operations...to preserve the free and secure the world’s oceans by legitimate mariners," according to the Navy.

The Blotter: U.S. Navy Patrols the High Seas, Takes on Pirates

waltky · 11-04-2007, 01:44 AM

Fearless W got `em cryin' 'Uncle'...

Report: Somali pirates want U.S. Navy to back off
November 2, 2007 -- Pirates want U.S. warship to move away, wife of crewman says; At one point U.S. Navy opened fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to Japanese ship; 23 crew members from the Philippines, South Korea and Myanmar aboard; Navy also helped a North Korean ship overtaken by pirates earlier in the week

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Pirates who hijacked a Japanese tanker off Somalia earlier this week are demanding a U.S. warship shadowing the vessel back off, the wife of the tanker's foreman said Friday. "Apparently the navy ship was getting closer to them," Tess Villanueva, wife of the crew's foreman, Laureano, told The Associated Press in the Philippines. "The good news would be if they (pirates) leave the ship."

Villanueva said the information was relayed to her late Thursday by Redentor Anaya, vice president for operations of SeaCrest Maritime Management Inc., which recruited the Filipino crew for the Golden Nori. Negotiations have started for the release of the Golden Nori, anchored in Somali waters with 23 crew members from the Philippines, South Korea and Myanmar, said Josefina Villanueva, Laureano's sister. Josefina Villanueva said there had been no ransom demand from the pirates. "The talks are just starting. I think the pirates will later on demand something," she said.

"We're very worried," she added. "We're holding daily prayers in our house." The U.S. Navy's guided missile destroyer USS Porter came to the aid of the Japanese chemical tanker this week, at one point opening fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to it. It was not known Friday which U.S. Navy ship was near the tanker now. On Thursday, the U.S. Navy said that it intended to remove the pirates from the Golden Nori, which was carrying benzene.

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waltky · 11-04-2007, 04:53 PM

Fearless W kickin' pirate butt...

Somali pirates release two hijacked ships
Sun., Nov. 4, 2007 - Liberal vessels, carrying 24, under U.S. Navy escort off the Horn of Africa

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Somali pirates left two boats they had hijacked in the waters off the Horn of Africa, and the newly liberated vessels — and their crew of 24 — were under U.S. Navy escort on Sunday, the American military said.

A U.S. Navy ship and helicopter were guiding the Tanzanian-flagged boats Mavuno 1 and 2 further out to sea, where naval personnel will later board the vessels and treat crew members, said Cmdr. Lydia Roberston of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The Navy is in radio contact with pirates aboard three other ships in the region, encouraging them also to leave those ships and sail back to Somalia, she told The Associated Press.

The vessels freed on Sunday were seized May 15 off Somalia. It was not immediately clear how the sailors were freed, or whether any ransom was paid for their release. All 24 sailors were confirmed safe, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said. Among the crew on the South Korean-owned vessesl were four South Koreans, 10 Chinese, three Vietnamese, three Indians and four Indonesians.

Somali pirates release two hijacked ships - Focus on Somalia - MSNBC.com

See also:

U.S. Navy Recovers 2 Pirated Ships
Nov. 4, 2007 - Somali Pirates Abandon South Korean-Owned Boats After U.S. Intervenes

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Somali pirates gave up control of two ships hijacked months earlier and U.S. Navy escorted the boats to safer waters Sunday as it stepped up efforts to bring security to the seas off the chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The pirates climbed into small skiffs and headed back to Somalia after speaking by radio to U.S. naval personnel. A Navy ship and helicopter guided the South Korean-owned boats Mavuno 1 and 2 further out to sea.

It was the third time in a week the U.S. has intervened to help ships hijacked by Somali pirates. Sailors boarded a North Korean ship to give medical assistance to crew members who overpowered their hijackers, and a U.S. naval vessel fired on pirate skiffs tied to a Japanese-owned ship. Naval personnel boarded the South Korean-owned ships and gave medical checkups to the crew, said Cmdr. Lydia Robertson of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. No injuries were reported. The two Tanzanian-flagged boats were seized May 15.

The Navy was also urging pirates to leave the Japanese ship and two hijacked boats in the region and sail back to Somalia, she told The Associated Press. "We're very happy with this development and hope it happens with the other ships off the coast," Robertson said. She gave no indication of the content of the conversations.

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waltky · 11-05-2007, 08:12 PM

Shiver me timbers...

U.S. Navy Triumphs Over Pirates on the High Seas
November 05, 2007 - The U.S. Navy says it helped regain control of three vessels over the weekend that had been under the control of Somali pirates for almost five months.

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In all three cases, the pirates were persuaded by the Navy to leave the ships. The destroyer USS James E. Williams aided the crew of the Taiwanese ship, M/V Ching Fong Hwa, regain control earlier today. After the pirates returned to shore, the destroyer escorted the Taiwanese ship out of Somali waters and provided needed supplies and medical assistance.

The U.S. Navy aided two South Korean vessels – both hijacked in May – in retaking their ships after ship-to-ship communications on Sunday. Those ships – Mavuno 1 and Mavuno 2 -- are now safe in Yemenese waters. The three rescued vessels cap off a busy week for the Navy.

Earlier, Navy corpsmen boarded a North Korean cargo ship to provide medical assistance to the crew after they had overpowered their hijackers. And another U.S. Navy destroyer had fired on pirate skiffs attached to Japan's Golden Nori in Somali waters, as previously reported on the Blotter.

The Golden Nori continues to be under pirate control as does the Al Marjan, a cargo ship registered in Comoros. "We continue to encourage the pirates to leave the ships," Cmdr. Lydia Robertson said in Bahrain. "We have bridge-to-bridge communications with the pirates aboard the remaining two ships encouraging them to leave the vessels."

The U.S. Navy patrols the seas as part of the Combined Maritime Forces, based in Manama, Bahrain. Along with naval forces from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan and the U.K., the U.S. Navy patrols "more than 2.5 million square miles of international waters to conduct both integrated and coordinated operations...to preserve the free and secure the world’s oceans by legitimate mariners," according to the Navy.

The Blotter: U.S. Navy Triumphs Over Pirates on the High Seas

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Sailors Look Forward To Seeing Families After Capture By Somali Pirates
November 5, 2007 - The wives of two of four South Korean sailors held by kidnappers in Somalia hailed the release of their loved ones on Sunday after 174 days in captivity. South Korea's foreign ministry announced on Sunday the release of 24 sailors of two fishing vessels hijacked by Somali pirates on May 15.

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Kim Jeong-shim, wife of captain Han Seok-ho, said she was relieved to know that her husband is coming home at last. Cho Tae-soon, wife of chief engineer Yang Chil-tae, said she hopes to see her husband right away.

The wives, together with families of the sailors, also thanked the local media and other people who supported and sympathized with them during a press conference in Busan on Monday. At the same conference, the sailors' families criticized their government's alleged priority to help free kidnapped aid workers in Afghanistan over those kidnapped in Somalia.

Han and Yang were among 22 Asian crew members of two South Korean fishing vessels hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia on May 15. The Hankyoreh said the ships named Mavuno 1 and Mavuno 2 are owned by the Daechang Fishing Co. and were manned by two other South Korean crews when hijacked.

Update: Sailors Look Forward To Seeing Families After Capture By Somali Pirates | November 5, 2007 | AHN

waltky · 11-18-2007, 09:48 PM

Another ship taken...

Concern grows for ship seized by pirates off Somalia
Monday, November 19, 2007 -- Communication has been lost with a Comoran-flagged cargo ship captured by pirates off the Somali coast last month, raising fears of the crew safety, a maritime monitoring group said on Saturday.

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The MV Al Marjan, with 22 mostly Asian crew members on board, was seized on Oct. 19 as it sailed to Mogadishu port from the United Arab Emirates port of Dubai. "We are worried that the ship has cut communication with the owner and the rest of the world," said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenyan branch of the Seafarers' Assistance Program. "This is the second week since it cut communication, which means there are no negotiations going. This is a very bad indicator on the fate of the crew," he said. The freighter is owned by Shahmir Maritime of Saint Vincent and Grenadines, but operated by Dubai-based Biyat International.

Mwangura explained that "cutting communication" between the pirated vessels and the outside world in the past has been an indication that "something bad" has happened onboard. "When pirates killed a sailor in Ching Fong Hwa 168, they cut communication. That is why we are worried this time round," he said. Ching Fong Hwa 168 was a Taiwanese-flagged ship seized by pirates in June before being released on Nov. 5. One crew member was killed and another injured.

Mwangura said negotiations were underway to free Japanese tanker, Golden Nori -- believed to be carrying benzene -- that was kidnapped on Oct. 28 with 23 crew members from Myanmar, Philippines and South Korea. Their condition is unknown. The vessel was sailing from Singapore to Israel when its was seized. "I expect that the pirates will ask for ransom of more than a million dollars to free the tanker," he told AFP.

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waltky · 12-01-2007, 10:39 PM

Join the Navy, see adventure...

Pirate Mother Ship Hunt Off Somali Coast
Dec 1, 2007 -- Pirates from two small skiffs seized the crew of a Japanese vessel off anarchic Somalia's coast. American forces fired on the skiffs and destroyed them. Now the navies of the U.S. and 19 other countries are after bigger prey.

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The U.S.-led coalition working to secure sea lanes beset by pirates believe skiffs like the ones used in the attack on the Japanese ship must have come from elusive "mother ships." "The small boats which are used for piracy could not travel" from shore as far into the ocean as ships have been attacked, said Commodore Khan Hasham of Pakistan, one of the U.S. allies in the anti-piracy operation. "So they needed a mother ship from which the pirates could launch skiffs."

Aboard the Pakistani navy ship Babur, Pakistani special forces load their rifles and meticulously go through their drills, readying themselves to board suspicious vessels and search for weapons. U.S. Navy officers aboard swap theories with their Pakistani counterparts about where the mother ships could be. Coalition officials are reluctant to name all the countries involved or the number of warships involved because of security concerns, and because cooperating with America is a delicate political issue in the tense oil states of the Persian Gulf.

Pakistan's relations with the U.S. have also been strained since President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency Nov. 3. But Musharraf remains a necessary partner and ally in the U.S. war against terror - al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden may be hiding on the Pakistani frontier with Afghanistan. This week, Pakistani sailors on the Babur and Americans on the USNS John Lenthall waved at each other across the waves during a refueling exercise, their captains chatting over short wave radio.

Their patrols address a growing problem. The International Maritime Bureau has recorded 31 attacks off Somalia this year but believe many more go unreported. The 31 includes the seizure a month ago of a Japanese tanker carrying as much as 40,000 tons of highly explosive benzene in the Gulf of Aden.

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waltky · 12-10-2007, 05:45 PM

Kidnapped for ransom...

Pirates threaten to kill hostages
10 Dec. 2007 - Somali pirates asking for a $1 million ransom for 22 hostages; Hostages from Japanese tanker held six weeks; The Golden Nori's crew is from the Philippines, South Korea and Myanmar; Chemical tanker loaded with up to 40,000 tons of highly explosive benzene

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Somali pirates who seized a Japanese tanker six weeks ago have threatened to kill the 22 crew members unless a $1 million ransom is paid, a maritime official said Monday. The Golden Nori is carrying crew from the Philippines, South Korea and Myanmar. "Somali pirates holding the Japanese ship are demanding $1 million," said Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers' Assistance Program. "They are also saying we are going to kill the crew if our demands are not met."

Deaths are rare during such hijackings. The chemical tanker was anchored in Somali waters and carrying up to 40,000 tons of highly explosive benzene. The U.S. Navy in late October came to the aid of the vessel, with the guided missile destroyer USS Porter at one point opening fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to it. The pirates, though, remained aboard the tanker. The U.S. military has recently intervened several times to help ships hijacked by Somali pirates.

Somali pirates are trained fighters, in some cases linked to powerful Somali clans, outfitted with sophisticated arms and equipment. They have seized merchant ships, ships carrying aid, and once even a cruise ship. Somalia has not had an effective central government since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Now the weak transitional government and its Ethiopian allies are battling an Iraq-style Islamic insurgency. The chaos means that pirate ships can cruise the ragged coastline with relative impunity.

Source

waltky · 01-10-2008, 01:19 AM

Global Pirate Attacks Up 10 Pct. in '07...

Global Pirate Attacks Up 10 Percent in 2007, Says Maritime Watchdog
Jan 9, 2008 - Global pirate attacks rose by 10 percent in 2007, marking the first increase in three years as sea robbers made a strong comeback in Nigeria and Somalia, an international maritime watchdog said Wednesday.

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Last year, there were 269 attacks on ships, up from 239 in 2006 and reversing a downtrend seen since 2003, the International Maritime Bureau said in its annual report released by its piracy reporting center in Malaysia. "The significant increase in the (2007) numbers can be directly attributed to the increase in the incidents in Nigeria and Somalia," IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement.

Attacks in Nigeria surged to 42 from 12 cases in 2006, he said. Somalia reported a threefold increase of 31 cases, from 10 in 2006. The IMB report said pirates were better armed and more violent in 2007, with 18 vessels hijacked worldwide, 292 crew members taken hostage, five killed and three still missing.

Guns were used in 72 attacks, up 35 percent from 2006. It said 64 crew members were assaulted and injured, compared to only 17 in 2006, with majority of the incidents occurring off Somalia's coast. The report said pirates used rocket propelled grenade launchers and automatic weapons as well as mother vessels to launch smaller craft to attack ships further away from Somali's coast.

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waltky · 01-11-2008, 08:11 PM

Nigerian Navy not doing enough...

Nigerian Navy comes under fire for failure to prevent rise in piracy
11 January 2008 - The IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre recorded 263 attacks on commercial shipping in 2007, 10 per cent up on the previous year

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The director of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has criticised the Nigerian Navy over its failure to prevent a significant rise in the number of pirate attacks in Lagos and the Niger Delta region. Globally, the number of reported robberies and hijackings against commercial shipping increased by 10 per cent in 2007. The level of violence used also went up, according to the IMB.

In its annual report, published on 9 January 2008, the IMB says that its Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur recorded a total of 263 attacks worldwide during the previous 12 months, compared with 239 in 2006. The report states: "At the same time, pirates and robbers boarding vessels were better armed and more brazen in assaulting and injuring crew members, with a 35 per cent increase reported in the number of incidents involving guns." Sixty-four crew were injured or assaulted, compared with 17 in 2006.

Captain Pottengal Mukundan, the IMB's director, said the worsening global situation was "directly attributable" to the increase in piracy in Nigeria and Somalia, where there was a "lack of proper law enforcement". In Nigeria, a total of 42 incidents were reported in 2007 - three and a half times more than the year before. Many attacks were staged by heavily armed groups with political grievances.

Nigerian Navy comes under fire for failure to prevent rise in piracy - Jane's Defence News

waltky · 02-04-2008, 03:54 AM

Putin not gonna be happy...

Report: Russian ship seized off Somalia　　
Feb. 3, `08 -- A Russian tugboat has been captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia, Russian media reported Sunday.

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The ship, Svitser Korsakov, had six people on board, two Britons and four Russians, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. "The ship was seized by pirates near Somalia on Feb. 1 at 1:17 p.m. GMT," RIA Novosti quoted the Russian Far Eastern Rescue Center as saying.

The boat, which had been launched only last month in St Petersburg and was intended for use on the Sakhalin II oil and gas project, was en route to the Sakhalin Island in Russia's Far East through the Malacca Strait.

The pirates were probably running the tugboat toward Mogadishu, Somalia, said RIA Novosti, quoting the Russian Far Eastern Rescue Center. The Russian navy has informed NATO naval forces about the incident.

Source

waltky · 04-04-2008, 04:43 PM

Sacre bleu! Sarkozy not gonna be happy `bout this one, maybe he'll send troops to Somalia...

Pirates Seize French Cruise Ship
Friday, Apr. 04, 2008 — Pirates seized control of a French cruise ship Friday off the coast of Somalia, France's Foreign Ministry said.

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A ministry official said details about the attack were scarce, and it was not clear how many crew members were on board the ship or if there were any passengers. The ship is in the high seas in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean. The official declined to identify the vessel or its owner.

The ministry has set up a crisis center to deal with the situation, said the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Pirates seized more than two dozen ships off the Somali coast last year. The U.S. Navy has led international patrols to try to combat piracy in the region. Last year, the guided missile destroyer USS Porter opened fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to a Japanese tanker.

Wracked by more than a decade of violence and anarchy, Somalia does not have its own navy and a transitional government formed in 2004 with U.N. help has struggled to assert control. The International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy, said in its annual report earlier this year that global pirate attacks rose by 10 percent in 2007, marking the first increase in three years.

Source

waltky · 04-07-2008, 05:08 AM

Sarkozy sends in the Foreign Legion...

Elite troops ready to take on pirates
April 07, 2008 - FRANCE has sent an elite army unit to east Africa which will be ready to intervene if negotiations fail with pirates holding a luxury French cruise yacht off Somalia.

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The troops, who specialise in freeing hostages, were sent to Djibouti where they will remain until further orders, a miltary source said.

The 32-cabin yacht, the Ponant, with about 30 crew members was captured Friday.

On Monday it lay anchored just off the coast of Somalia, with a navy French vessel keeping a close watch on it.

Elite troops ready to take on pirates | NEWS.com.au

waltky · 04-12-2008, 12:12 AM

Sarkozy kickin' pirate butt...

Pirates killed in Somali yacht rescue
Friday 11th April, 2008 - 30 crew members from a French sailing ship which was taken from the coast of Somalia last week, have been released.

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In a statement, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the hostages from the French yacht Le Ponant, were released without incident. Nevertheless, it is believed the pirates only gave up after a battle with French troops, in which three pirates were killed. According to a regional governor in northeastern Somalia, an operation against the pirates involved ground troops and helicopters.

He confirmed that three bodies had been found and collected. Eight others were wounded while eight others were taken by the French. He said the raid occurred in Jariban village, some 25 kilometres from Garaad hamlet, where the French luxury yacht, Le Ponant, was held by pirates. The eight who were arrested have been placed on board a French navy ship that had been sent to the scene of the kidnapping.

The yacht, Le Ponant, was seized by pirates last week between the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen. The pirates then sailed the yacht to the Somali coast and began negotiations with the French government, as most of crew were French. It is believed the owner of the yacht paid some two million dollars for the release of the crew members. Sources say French special forces handled the negotiations between the yacht owner and the pirates.

Pirates killed in Somali yacht rescue

See also:

France: Pirates Captured, Hostages Freed
April 11, 2008 - 6 Pirates Apprehended After They Release 30 Crew Members They Held On Yacht Off Somalia

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Helicopter-borne French troops swooped in on Somali pirates Friday after they freed 30 hostages from a yacht, seizing six of the hijackers and recovering sacks of money — apparently ransom paid by the ship's owners. The pirates boarded the 288-foot French luxury yacht Le Ponant a week ago, capturing its crew — 22 of whom were French — off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden. Pirates seized more than two dozen vessels off the Somali coast last year, mostly in hopes of securing ransoms.

Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, the chief of staff of France's armed forces, said the pirates released the hostages after negotiations with the ship's owner. That phase of the operation was calm, with no weapons fired, he said. The hostages were brought smoothly to safely and the pirates went ashore. Once the pirates were on Somali territory, a French attack helicopter chased a vehicle carrying some of them, firing to destroy its engine, the general said.

There were conflicting reports about what happened next. Dahir Abdulqadir, a Somali governor in the region near where the yacht was held, said officials had heard "reports over VHF radio that at least eight people were killed." But the office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy denied any pirates died in the raid. Georgelin said six pirates — out of a dozen hostage-takers — were taken into custody and would be tried in French courts. All six "gave themselves up without too much difficulty," he added. While insisting France did not pay a ransom, the general indicated the yacht's owners did.

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