Pirates hit navy ship 'in error'

Rapid

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8294858.stm

A group of Somali pirates has been captured after attacking a French navy ship by mistake, apparently thinking it was a harmless cargo vessel.

French military spokesman Admiral Christophe Prazuck said the pirates attacked in skiffs late at night some 500km (310 miles) off the Somali coast.

But the command and supply ship, the Somme, repelled the attack and chased the pirates, capturing five of them.

Dozens of international warships fight piracy in Somalia's lawless waters.

<<Once they realised they were facing a ship that was responding and was heading towards them, they stopped shooting and attempted to flee
Admiral Christophe Prazuck>>

The country has had no effective central government since 1991, leading to a complete breakdown of law and order, and pirates operate off the coast almost with impunity.

Admiral Prazuck told French TV station La Chaine Info the pirates seemed to be surprised that the navy ship fought back.

"Once they realised they were facing a ship that was responding and was heading towards them, they stopped shooting and attempted to flee," he said.

"The Somme gave chase and intercepted one of the pirates' boats. All the weapons had apparently been tossed into the sea and the suspected pirates are now being held on board the Somme."

About two dozen ships from European Union nations, including Britain, France, Germany and Italy, patrol the waters off Somalia - an area of about two million square miles.

Although the international naval forces have stepped up patrols in the Gulf of Aden this year, relatively few of the pirates detained have faced trial because of the legal complexities involved.

Epic fail? :doh:

"Asad, you idiot!
Shut up, Labaan! It was dark as hell!"
 
"Uhhh....hey, Rafique. I think we fucked up."

"Uhhh....yeah, because here come the pirate bastards."

"Uhhh....I'm thinkin' they're not the pirates, but they're gonna kill or sink our ass...."

}:-) Arrgh!
 
Pirates Mistakenly Fire on Military Vessel

http://news.aol.com/article/somali-pirates-attack-french-navy-ship/446496


Pirates Mistakenly Fire on Military Vessel
By ELAINE GANLEY, AP
posted: 5 HOURS 3 MINUTES .


PARIS (Oct. 7) - 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.

No one was wounded by the volleys from the Kalashnikov rifles directed at La Somme, a 3,800-ton refueling ship, said Rear Admiral Christophe Prazuck, a military spokesman.

La Somme "was probably taken for a commercial ship by the two small skiffs" some 250 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, said Prazuck.

"They understood their mistake too late," Prazuck said.

One skiff fled, and La Somme pursued the second one in an hour-long chase.

"There were five suspected pirates on board. No arms, no water, no food," Prazuck said.

France is a key member of the European Union's naval mission, Operation Atalanta, fighting Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. It has aggressively tracked and caught suspected pirates and handed over at least 22 to Kenya. An additional 15 suspects were brought to France for prosecution after allegedly seizing French nationals' boats.

President Nicolas Sarkozy called for tougher action against piracy last year after dozens of attacks.
 
One reason the Pirates are released is because the ships they attack come from countries without navies. EU forces it's members to only keep if they attack a ship belonging to an EU member.
Why is this significant? Because they can keep these assholes now.
This will be fun to watch, remember France was the first country to do a take down at sea on these boobs.
 
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