Somali Pirates hijack ships in Indian ocean

Somali pirates are now moving out into the Indian ocean in an effort to avoid the international task force that is trying to prevent pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia. AFP

NAIROBI (AFP) — Somali pirates seized a French yacht, a German vessel and a Yemeni tugboat over the weekend in a flurry of hijackings far out in the Indian Ocean, a group monitoring piracy said on Monday.

As pirates ventured further off the coastal areas heavily patrolled by a growing international naval coalition, Ecoterra International also revealed that an Indian cargo had been seized and released over the past week.

The environmental group, which monitors illegal marine activities in the region, said a French-flagged yacht with four crew had been captured Saturday "around 640 kilometres (400 miles) off Ras Hafun in northeast Somalia."

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