New Delhi, July 16 - The Indian and French navies have helped free a small boat with 14 Indians on board that was hijacked by Somalian pirates last week, an official said here Thursday.

The small boat was hijacked by the pirates off the Somalian coast Friday and was freed Wednesday after a joint operation by the two navies, the official said.

The Somalian pirates carrying rocket propelled grenades and AK-47s hijacked the Indian boat about 10 nautical miles off Boosaaso in Gulf of Aden waters. The vessel had discharged its cargo at the Somali harbour and was proceeding to Dubai.

The Somalian pirates forced the boat towards Bab el Mandeb, north of Somalia, and tried to hijack MVA Elephant, a Liberian tanker, Monday.

A French warship shadowed the pirated boat and exchanged information about it with the Indian naval ship.

'The dhow was thereafter tracked continuously by the warships of both the navies.