French forces detain 11 pirates off Kenya,also US food aid ship escapes Somali pirate attack

PARIS – The French Defense Ministry says it detained 11 pirates during a French assault on a pirate "mother ship" and thwarted a pirate attack on a Liberian-registered vessel.
The ministry says French forces launched an attack on a 30-foot (10-meter) long pirate mother ship early Wednesday after observing the pirates overnight.
The 11 pirates are being held upon the Nivose, a French frigate taking part in a European mission to protect shipping in the Gulf of Aden. A French surveillance helicopter spotted the pirates' mother ship Tuesday.
The ship was intercepted 550 miles (900 kilometers) east of the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
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US food aid ship escapes Somali pirate attack
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Somali pirates fired grenades and automatic weapons at an American freighter loaded with food aid but the ship managed to escape the attack and was heading Wednesday to Kenya under U.S. Navy guard, officials said.
Despite President Barack Obama's vow to halt their banditry and the deaths of five pirates in recent French and U.S. hostage rescue missions, brigands seized four vessels and more than 75 hostages off the Horn of Africa since Sunday's dramatic rescue of an American freighter captain.
That brought the total number of sailors being held by Somali pirates to over 300 on 17 different ships — a distinct surge in the number of captives over the last few days.
Pirates can extort $1 million or more for each ship and crew — and Kenya estimates they raked in $150 million last year...more..http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB7YMEDuCwwY9ncDOtPAkEI4-H2wD97ITVSO0