Pirate error: Attackers mistake French warship for merchantman

FIVE men have been charged with piracy after allegedly mistaking a patrolling French warship for a merchantman, reported the French defence department.

The men opened fire after midnight 463 kilometres off Somalia's coast, only to find the passengers armed and dangerous.

CNN reported an hour after the attack, the French flagship chased down one of the pirate skiffs while a second escaped.

The European anti-piracy squadron's flagship, La Somme, also acts as a supply ship for the squadron off Somalia's coast, the ministry said.

(Source: www.schednet.com)