French Navy Catches 22 Pirates & Mothership - Photos

The French Navy has gone and caught more Somali pirates this week. Here is Google's decent attempt at a translation:

Thursday, March 4, 2010, the Beautemps-Beaupre repulsed an attack by pirates off the Somali coast.

In national mission in the Indian Ocean on building hydro-ocean sailing 180 nautical east of Mogadishu when he spotted three suspicious vessels. While their mothership stood at a distance, two fast skiffs have set sail on the French ship to address.

Beautemps-Beaupre has made the customary warnings, radio, audio and visual means, before the team embarked Protection (EPA) should not proceed to fire warning shots to repel hackers determined to board at 'using sliding scales.

Given the reaction of the crew of Beautemps-Beaupré and the EPA, the pirates gave up and returned to their mothership. An alert was immediately sent by the French ship to all browsers and international forces patrolling the coast of Somalia.

Upon receipt of the alert, the staff of the operation Atalante ordered the frigate Nivose, which patrol a 150 nautical area, to proceed to the scene of the attack. The immediate response of the Panther helicopter on board has to score and to track the two skiffs and their mother ship until joining the frigate.

On March 5 in the morning, the combined actions of the Panther and two speedboats used by the teams visit Nivôse determined the surrender of the pirates. 11 personnes ont été transférées à bord du Nivôse. 11 people were transferred aboard Nivôse.

Later in the day, the frigate received orders to join another area, 90 nautical first, where pirates have also been reported. Arriving on site, the Nivôse offset three vessels operating in the same configuration as those intercepted in the morning - a mother ship and two skiffs assault - and captured 11 individuals who were paid on board. - French Naval Forces (Translated from French)

Here is one stroy in the English press although on an Iranian news site:

In one incident on Friday, six pirates attacked a French fishing boat although a French military detachment onboard fired warning shots at them. The ship then approached the skiff and collided with it, sinking the skiff and throwing the pirates into the water. Four were rescued, but two others went missing.

In a separate attack, again on a French vessel, eleven pirates were taken into custody by the EU Naval Force. - PressTV

Great job French Navy!
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