The European Union has mandated Spanish military aircraft to patrol the waters off the coast of Somalia to protect ships from pirates, officials confirmed Thursday.
According to the Spanish Defense Ministry, the aircraft will carry 90 Spanish soldiers and will operate from a base in Djibouti.
The plane, a P-3 Orion, is charged with collecting information on the movement of pirates and relay it to the EU task force formed to work against piracy off the Horn of Africa.
The decision emerged barely 48 hours after French commandos freed two French tourists who had been held for ransom on their yacht off the Somali coast.
In April, Somali authorities confirmed that crew members of a Spanish fishing boat were freed by pirates in the area after payment of a US$1.2 million ransom.
Source African Press Agency
