The mercenary who overthrew this African island nation's government surrendered Wednesday, hours after hundreds of French commandos stormed the country from the air and the sea.
Mercenary Bob Denard surrendered and freed Comorian President Said Mohamed Djohar, Gen. Raymond Germanos, spokesman for the French Defense Ministry said at a news conference in Paris. Denard, however, denied giving up.About 600 camouflaged French commandos landed at the airport at dawn, carrying rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. They commandeered a mobile stairway from the airport and drove it through streets as a portable vantage point for soldiers.
Earlier, about 40 commandos swarmed ashore on inflatable speedboats and battled with 30 Comorian soldiers and four French mercenaries, said Capt. Robert Pellegrin, the commander of the assault.
Reporters saw at least three dead and 11 wounded. French officers reported no casualties among their troops and said they took 29 prisoners.
Denard denied he had actually surrendered to French special forces soldiers, whom he allowed to walk into his military camp without firing a shot.
"We're still in the same place. We're continuing to negotiate," Denard said by telephone. "I haven't surrendered. This is stand-by. We'll see tomorrow."
Germanos said Denard "will be brought back to France to be judged."