Finland to join anti-piracy force off Somali coast

(HELSINKI) - The Finnish government said Tuesday it would join the European Union's multinational naval force aimed at protecting ships from pirates off the coast of Somalia.

"Finland is preparing to participate in the operation with the minelayer Pohjanmaa and a total of 120 soldiers during the first half of 2011," the government said in a statement.

Finland joins a substantial naval force whose mandate is to protect international shipping in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, where piracy has exploded following civil unrest in Somalia.

Operation Atalanta, as it is known, was launched in December 2008 in response to United Nations Security Council resolutions which were enacted to clamp down on piracy.