France says Somali pirates attack French military vessel, 5 suspected pirates captured

October 13th, 2009 French soldiers fire on Indian Ocean piratesPARIS — French soldiers in the Indian Ocean opened fire Tuesday on pirates, warding off an attack on two French tuna fishing vessels off the Seychelles Islands, a military official said. French military spokesman Rear Adm.

October 10th, 2009 Seychelles captures 11 suspected piratesPARIS — French soldiers successfully defended two fishing boats from capture by pirates in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, and 11 men suspected of involvement in the failed attack were pursued at sea and captured, officials said. The chain of events illustrated the teamwork in the international community to crack down on piracy in the Indian Ocean, where pirates cruise the waters searching for boats to hijack for ransoms.

October 7th, 2009 Somali pirate error ends with 5 in French brigPARIS — Somali pirates in two skiffs fired on a French navy vessel early Wednesday after apparently mistaking it for a commercial boat, the French military said. The French ship gave chase and captured five suspected pirates.

October 4th, 2009 Spain: hijacked fishing boat makes port in SomaliaMADRID — A hijacked trawler has been taken to port in Somalia with pirates still in charge of the vessel, the Spanish government said Sunday. The Spanish-owned fishing boat Alakrana was hijacked by pirates early Friday.

August 11th, 2009 Somali pirates make expense claim for holding shipNAIROBI, Kenya — A Somali governor says no ransom was paid for the release of an Italian tug boat that pirates held for four months. But Sanag Governor Mohamed Said Nur told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the pirates were paid $270,000 for food and other supplies used to sustain the 16-member crew of the Buccaneer since April.

August 3rd, 2009 Somali pirates receive ransom for German shipNAIROBI, Kenya — A European Union naval spokesman says Somali pirates have received a ransom to release a German vessel they have been holding for more than three months. Morten Gramberg declined to give any other details about the ransom or when the Hansa Stavanger would be released.

June 22nd, 2009 NATO thwarts pirate attack off SomaliaBRUSSELS — Pirates tried to hijack a Singaporean freighter off Somalia on Monday, but they were chased down and captured by a NATO warship, the alliance said. The MV Maersk Phoenix freighter issued an emergency call when it was attacked by the pirates, who were armed with AK-47 automatic rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, NATO said.

May 8th, 2009 French hand over 11 suspected pirates to KenyaPARIS — A government official says France has handed over 11 Somali piracy suspects to Kenya for a judicial investigation and possible trial. It is the second time France has turned piracy suspects over to Kenya for prosecution.

May 4th, 2009 Russian ship frees Iranians seized with piratesMOSCOW — Iran's embassy in Moscow says a Russian warship has freed eight Iranians who were seized along with suspected Somali pirates last week. The embassy says the Iranians had been held captive by the pirates for almost three months, and has praised the Russian Navy for the rescue.

May 3rd, 2009 French forces detain 11 suspected piratesNAIROBI, Kenya — A French naval vessel intercepted 11 suspected pirates traveling off the Somali coast on Sunday in two assault vessels and a so-called "mothership" loaded with Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers, the French Defense Ministry said. It was the French ship's third pirate intervention in a month.

April 29th, 2009 Report: Russian ship seizes 29 suspected piratesMOSCOW — Russian news agencies, citing the nation's Defense Ministry, say a Russian warship has seized a vessel with 29 suspected pirates on board off the coast of Somalia. RIA Novosti and other agencies say a Russian anti-submarine vessel seized the ship on Tuesday along with automatic rifles, pistols and ammunition found on board.

April 15th, 2009 LONDON - Somali pirates have attacked another US merchant ship off the coast of Somalia using rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. The pirates damaged the Liberty Sun, which was carrying a cargo of food aid, but were not able to board it, reports the BBC.

April 10th, 2009 PARIS - French naval forces overwhelmed pirates who had seized a private yacht in the Indian Ocean a week ago, but at the cost of the life of one of the hostages and two pirates, the government said Friday. The presidential office said the three other pirates involved in the capture of the yacht Tanis on April 4 had been captured.

April 7th, 2009 PARIS - A French couple and their 3-year-old son were among those kidnapped by Somali pirates over the weekend, French television reported Monday. The family's sailboat Tanit carrying the family and another couple was seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean, where they had been vacationing aboard the boat and were heading towards the island of Zanzibar despite repeated warning about the dangers of piracy.

January 4th, 2009 PARIS - A French warship Sunday foiled attacks by Somali pirates on two commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden, the French president's office said. Patrolling off the Somali coast, the French warship 'Jean de Vienne' captured 19 Somali pirates when they tried to seize a Croatian freighter and a Panamanian cargo ship.