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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| France frees sailors from pirates | France frees sailors from pirates |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The French army has freed two sailors seized by pirates off the Somali coast, the French presidency says. | The French army has freed two sailors seized by pirates off the Somali coast, the French presidency says. |
| One pirate was killed in the operation and another six captured, it says. | One pirate was killed in the operation and another six captured, it says. |
| The couple were seized in a sailing boat in the Gulf of Aden earlier this month by pirates who reportedly wanted a ransom of some $1.4m (£0.8m). | |
| The Somali waters are among the most dangerous in the world. Attacks by pirates are common and hamper the delivery of food aid. | The Somali waters are among the most dangerous in the world. Attacks by pirates are common and hamper the delivery of food aid. |
| The country has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has suffered from continual civil strife. | |
| Escalating battles between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian-backed government soldiers have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in the last 18 months. | |
| 'Safe and sound' | |
| A French government statement said that President Nicolas Sarkozy had given the go-ahead for the operation to free Jean-Yves and Bernadette Delanne late on Monday. | |
| Puntland encourages such steps and calls on other governments whose nationals are being held to do the same thing the French have done Bille Mohamoud QabowsadePuntland spokesman | |
| "The two French nationals are safe and sound," the statement said. | "The two French nationals are safe and sound," the statement said. |
| The couple were sailing from Australia to Somalia when they were captured on 2 September. | |
| Attacks against fishing boats, cargo ships and yachts have surged over recent months and foreigners, who can be exchanged for large ransoms, are frequent targets. | |
| Warships from France and other nations have been patrolling the Somali coast to protect ships carrying aid to the country, where up to a third of the population needs food aid. | Warships from France and other nations have been patrolling the Somali coast to protect ships carrying aid to the country, where up to a third of the population needs food aid. |
| On Monday, European foreign ministers agreed to set up a "co-ordination unit" to improve security patrols. | |
| France, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, has a military base in neighbouring Djibouti. | |
| Welcomed | |
| In April, French commandos made six arrests in a helicopter raid on Somali pirates after they had been paid a ransom to free the crew of another French yacht. | In April, French commandos made six arrests in a helicopter raid on Somali pirates after they had been paid a ransom to free the crew of another French yacht. |
| The six seized alleged pirates were handed over to French justice officials to be tried. | |
| According to Reuters news agency, the pirate group holding the Delanne couple were also demanding the release of their compatriots held in France. | |
| Authorities in the semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland welcomed the French move. | |
| Puntland's administration claims it is powerless in the face of the growing power of the pirates, who are well-armed and employ a lot of people. | |
| "The state of Puntland encourages such steps and calls on other governments whose nationals are being held to do the same thing the French have done," Puntland presidential adviser Bille Mohamoud Qabowsade told AFP news agency. |