Kidnapped crew freed from French yacht

MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 11 (UPI) -- Thirty people aboard a French yacht have been freed peacefully by pirates who kidnapped them off the coast of Somalia, officials said.

About a dozen pirates commandeered the luxury yacht last week when it was sailing to the Mediterranean from the Seychelles, EuroNews.net reported. It was reported there were no passengers on the ship when it was taken over.

Waters near the Somalian coast are very dangerous, even though they reportedly are monitored by patrol ships.

The office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the incident came to a peaceful resolution.

At least 30 vessels were invaded in off the coast of Somalia last year, the International Maritime Bureau reported.