Pirates attack French warship

PARIS: The French navy has captured several Somali pirates who attacked their fuel supply ship overnight, a French official said on Wednesday.

The pirates launched their assault on the 160-metre (525-foot) long ship, La Somme, from a skiff. The French sailors beat off their attack and managed to capture several of them, the official said.

No-one was injured in the incident, he said.

The world's naval powers have deployed dozens of warships to the lawless waters off Somalia over the past year to curb attacks by pirates threatening one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes.