Pirates of the Gulf of Aden - Somalia Hijack

CHEN:
Somalia's ports and fisheries minister urges countries to use force on pirates who have hijacked at least 30 vessels this year in the Gulf of Aden. French navy officials say their forces are in the area and are ready to intervene. Here's more.

STORY:
Somali pirates are currently holding about 10 vessels for ransom at Eyl, a lawless former fishing outpost in the Puntland region.

A ship from Egypt was hijacked yesterday and a French yacht the day before, with two French nationals onboard.
The Somali government is urging countries whose nationals and shipping vessels have been hijacked by pirates to use force.

[Ahmed Said Aw-Nur, Puntland's Fisheries and Ports Minister]:
"The Puntland administration is appealing to companies and governments to which these ships belong, the ones whose nationals are being held by Somali pirates, not to pay any ransom but to use force."

A recent resolution at the United Nations Security Council gave the right to chase pirates into Somalia's territorial waters.

French government officials say they are ready to intervene if necessary.

[Captain Prazuck, Spokesman for the French Navy]:
"We have important French military forces in Djibouti, these forces are ready to intervene on any mission we will give them."

In April, French commandos launched a helicopter raid to arrest six Somali pirates after they freed the 30-strong crew of a luxury yacht they had hijacked days earlier.

Somali gunmen have seized at least 30 vessels so far this year, making the shipping lanes off the Horn of Africa country the most dangerous in the world.

They are currently demanding a ransom of more than $9 million to free two Malaysian tankers, a Japanese-managed bulk carrier and a Nigerian tug boat held captive near Eyl.