Pirates release "French" yacht's crew

April 11, 2008

PIRATES have released the 30-strong crew they took hostage last week aboard a luxury French yacht off Somalia, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office says.

"The President expresses his deep gratitude to the French armed forces and all the state services which enabled a rapid and peaceful solution to this hostage-taking,'' a statement said today, giving no further details.

The pirates stormed the French-owned yacht, the Ponant, last Friday as it was crossing the Gulf of Aden and sailed it to the Somali coast, eventually mooring the vessel at Garacade, near the town of Eyl.

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