04 May 2010

French Navy destroys Somali pirate base

Link to Article

The French warship "Tonnerre" destroyed a pirate mother ship and captured 11 people suspected of piracy. According to the press service of the Naval Forces of the European Union, fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, on Friday Swedish patrol aircraft detected a Somalia pirate ship-base and two boats 450 miles east of Somalia. Swedish Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ian Tørnquist ordered the French ship Tonnerre ", which was closest to the criminal group, to stop the ship. On Saturday morning, the "Tonnerre" located the mother ship and immediately a helicopter took off from the deck. Once the pirates realized that they had been found they began to jettison weapons and ladders overboard. The helicopter crew filmed it all on tape. An Inspection group from the French ship then boarded the pirate base. The pirates were then transferred on board the "Tonnerre" as well as were two smaller boats. The ship-base was then destroyed.

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