MOMBASA, Kenya, May 3 (UPI) -- The French navy said Sunday it had 11 suspected pirates in custody following an apparently misguided piracy attempt on the Indian Ocean east of Kenya.
French naval Capt. Christophe Prazuck said the suspects were detained after two pirate assault boats were preparing to attack a French military vessel, apparently mistaking the ship for a commercial vessel, CNN reported. The encounter occurred 620 miles from Mombasa, Kenya.
Prazuck said a French helicopter fired warning shots at the speeding vessels before they could fire at the military ship.
The suspects were found in possession of rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 rifles, Prazuck alleged.
The suspected pirates being detained on the Nivose naval craft marked the most recent suspects caught by the French in the last three weeks, CNN said.
The news network said the Nivose, which is participating in a European Union anti-piracy operation, has detained 24 suspected pirates while taking part in the law enforcement efforts off the Somalia coast.
