French Commandos stormed pirated Yacht and freed hostages in Somalia
By agencies
NAIROBI, Kenya - French commandos stormed a luxury yacht on Tuesday to rescue two French tourists who were being held for ransom by heavily armed Somali pirates, President Nicolas Sarkozy said.
One pirate was killed and six others taken prisoner in the pre-dawn assault by some 30 troops. The freed hostages and the captured pirates were put on a French navy ship sailing towards Djibouti, where France has a military base.
"This operation is a warning to all those engaged in this criminal activity. France will not accept that crime pays," Sarkozy said after the operation.
Gunmen from Somalia have hijacked more than 30 ships so far this year, making the strategic shipping lanes in the busy Gulf of Aden the most dangerous in the world.
Hours after the French raid, pirates seized an oil or chemical tanker believed to be Hong Kong-owned, a maritime official said. More than two dozen European tuna fishing vessels rushed to the Seychelles for safety, fearing more attacks.
It was the second time this year that French troops had acted against Somali pirates. In April, French commandos captured six of them shortly after a ransom had been paid for the release of another French yacht and its 30-strong crew.
The couple rescued on Tuesday were seized on September 2 by gunmen who had demanded a ransom of more than $1.4-million and the release of the pirates captured in April.
Sarkozy said the freed hostages, who had been sailing a yacht from Australia to France, were in good health.
He said he had ordered the commandos to move in when it became clear the pirates were taking their captives to Eyl, a lawless former fishing outpost now used by gangs.
Sarkozy said any rescue attempt from Eyl would have been too dangerous and the hostages could have been held for months.