“The French navy has captured 35 piracy suspects off Somalia’s coast – hailing it as the most successful mission since EU operations began in 2008.
French officials said four mother ships and six smaller boats had been seized in four operations since last Friday.
EU forces used helicopters and fired warning shots to capture the pirates, France’s defence ministry said.
The EU launched its anti-piracy mission in December 2008, but the pirates have since attacked ships in a wider area.
The EU’s mission has focused on the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes which was being ravaged by pirates. “
(Source: BBC News – France seizes 35 Somali ‘pirates’.)
