French commando capture Somali pirates, free captives

Times:

Black shadows emerging from the sea would have been the only warning of the fate that awaited seven pirates aboard their captured yacht off Somalia early yesterday morning.

Struggling awake, they found themselves staring at the barrels of assault weapons belonging to soldiers from the underwater combat unit of France’s elite special forces. One Somali made the error of reaching for his gun. He was shot.

His death was the only violence in a daring operation to release a retired French couple taken hostage aboard the 50ft Carré d’As (Four Aces) as they sailed her from Australia towards the Suez Canal on September 2. In doing so they had become the latest victims of the surge in piracy that has turned one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into one of the most dangerous.

The frogmen from the Commando Hubert, modelled on Britain’s Special Boat Service, were sent into action by President Sarkozy from the Élysée Palace in Paris, 5,000 miles away. It was after midnight, southeast of Somalia, when the helicopter began ferrying commandos from le Courbet, a frigate that had been shadowing the Carré d’As for the past ten days. A maritime reconnaissance aircraft monitored the operation from over the horizon.

The men were dropped by parachute some distance from the stationary yacht and swam towards her with night-vision goggles and undetectable breathing systems, according to military sources. They clambered aboard silently with ropes and light grappling hooks, taking the pirates by surprise.

It took ten minutes from the start of the assault to secure the vessel and free Jean-Yves and Bernadette Delanne, the 60-year-old couple. The six surviving gunmen were taken to the frigate.

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The French should be proud of these guys and of President Sarkozy for having the courage to order the operation. The French have now captured two groups of Somali pirates. Perhaps they should give lessons to other countries whose nationals have been captured. I would note, that the pirates have not attempted to capture any Americans for some reason.

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