VICTORIA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- In a spectacular military operation, Seychelles' coast guards managed to fee six fishermen from the Indian Ocean island country and 21 Iranian marines from the hands of nine Somali pirates over the weekend.

Xinhua learned from the Seychelles' military sources on Tuesday that the operation was launched on Sunday night after an Indian ship the Arsu alerted the Port Victoria authorities about the Somali pirates, who had taken hostage a group of Seychelles fishermen that were navigating in Galate boat.

The Indian ship with its crew members had also been taken hostage by the pirates, who then released them after discovering that they did not have enough foodstuffs and fuel on board.

Seychelles' coast guard dispatched a patrol boat the Topaz assisted by a European air fleet to take part in the Atalanta operation, which let to the release of the hostages and the interception of the pirates not far away from the Junon fishing point in the south of the archipelago.

The pirates and their hostages were found on board a ship belonging to Iranians. After having realized that the hostages were not tied up, the Seychelles military officers decided to shoot at the engine of the boat, provoking an exchange of fire forcing the hostages and the pirates to jump into water at around 1330 GMT. Only one marine was slightly injured in his arm during this operation.

Seychelles' military officers recovered the six fishermen and 21 Iranian marines and seized nine Somali pirates. The Topaz then headed to Port Victoria, the military reported.