French hostage taken from Kenya to Somalia

Somali militants kidnapped a French woman from a resort island in northern Kenya early Saturday and later crossed into Somalia, the Kenyan government says.

Ten heavily armedmendriving a high-speed boat under the cover of darkness seized the woman and began travellingnorth toward Ras Kamboni, a Somali town on a peninsula near the border with Kenya, about 25 kilometres from Manda Island.

"Security forces swung into immediate action,"according to a government statement.

"In the ensuing shoot-out between the abductors and the Kenya Navy, several of the abductors were injured but managed to enter" Ras Komboni, the statement said.

The government blamed the attack on Somali militants from al-Shabab.The Kenyan navy and police were chasing theboat at sea, said Ambrose Munyasia, a top police official on the coast.

"We are just concerned about the safety of the lady," said Tourism Minister Najib Balala, who added that a plane overhead was monitoring the situation.He identified the woman as Marie Dedieu.A resident on Manda Island said she often uses a wheelchair.

The French Foreign ministry said in a statement that the woman is in her 60s and was taken by several men who are "most likely from Somalia."

Munyasia said he had information that the French government would join the chase. He said he was optimistic the woman would be rescued soon.

But by early evening in Kenya there was no news of a successful rescue. In a message to Kenyans, the government said that "adequate security measures" had been put into place.

The French Foreign ministry said in a statement that French officials were "working with the Kenyan authorities, who have mobilized significant air and sea resources in order to free our compatriot."

Officials had earlier indicated Somali pirates had pulled off the attack, before the government later blamed al-Shabab. If pirates are involved, it would be the second such attack near the popular tourist town of Lamu in a month. In early September, pirates shot dead a British man and kidnapped his wife from a resort near Lamu.

Woman ownshouse on the island

People near the scene of the kidnapping heard gunshots around 3 a.m., Lamu resident Muhidin Athman said. Athman said the Frenchwoman owns a house on Manda Island and lives there half the year. She gets around with the help of a wheelchair or personal assistants, Athman said.

Manda Island is just across the channel from Lamu, an old resort town. Two kidnappings within a month have the potential to greatly harm the tourist trade in the area just before the busy holiday season.

Pirates once focused primarily on big ships at sea, but in recent years have also attacked private yachts, capturing Europeans or Americans on private trips.

As U.S. and European navies have increased their patrols of the Indian Ocean, and as large ships have increased their on-board defences, pirates may be looking for easier targets to keep ransom payments coming in.

Pirateskidnapped and held a British couple the Chandlers for more than a year.

"It's profit-motived action. As we know the British couple we captured before paid huge ransoms, so sometimes these targets are a big gain that gives you more than ships," a man who identified himself as a pirate commander named Bile Hussein told The Associated Press last week.