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Two sailors seized by Somalian pirates earlier this month have been freed by French Commandos. One pirate was killed in the operation and another six captured, according to a statement issued by the French presidency.
The retired French couple were abducted whilst sailing in the Gulf of Aden and were apparently being held for a ransom in the region of £800,000. President Nicolas Sarkozy said the success of the operation should serve as a warning to pirates operating in the region, and called for increased international efforts to counter maritime piracy, which has surged over recent months.
In a similar operation last April, commandos arrested six Somali pirates in a helicopter raid after a ransom had been paid to free the crew of a French yacht. The alleged kidnappers were delivered to French justice officials and are awaiting trial.
At least 30 ships have been attacked by pirates this year, making the waters off the Somalian coast the most dangerous to shipping in the world. In the latest incident reports issued by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), a tanker was attacked late on September 15, with 22 crew members being held hostage.
Incidents against cargo ships, fishing boats and private yachts have increased dramatically in recent months and foreigners are frequent targets due to the large ransoms that can be demanded. Warships from a multi-national task force have been patrolling a 'security corridor' in the waters off the coast of Somalia, and European foreign ministers also agreed on September 15 to set up a co-ordination unit to improve the effectiveness of security patrols.
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