France raid ship after crew freed

French commandos have carried out a helicopter raid against a group of Somali pirates soon after they released 30 hostages from a luxury French yacht.

Gen Jean-Louis Georgelin said troops moved in after the Ponant came ashore, seized six pirates and probably found part of a ransom paid by its owners.

Local officials said at least three people died in the raid, but France denied there had been any casualties.

The 850-tonne boat and its 30 crew were seized in the Gulf of Aden last Friday.

It was then moored near the port of Eyl in the northern Somali semi-autonomous Puntland region, while the pirates held negotiations with its owners, French charter company CMA-CGM.