Germany to lead Horn force

German military deployments are sensitive at home

The United States will shortly hand over to Germany the command of the naval anti-terror operation in the Horn of Africa.

The German Defence Ministry said Fleet Admiral Gottfried Hoch would assume the command "as soon as possible" from the United States and hold it until 30 October at the latest.

Twelve warships from Germany and other European nations are carrying out the surveillance mission.

Germany has also deployed long-range reconnaissance aircraft to Kenya to back up the naval operation.

Djibouti base

About 1,200 German navy personnel based in Djibouti, a former French colony, are patrolling the Red Sea, the Somali coast and the Gulf of Aden.

Their mission involves gathering intelligence about possible terrorist activity in the region and looking out for al-Qaeda or Taleban suspects fleeing Afghanistan.

It is Germany's biggest naval deployment since World War II.

The defence ministry said the mission - called Task Force 150 - would rely mainly on frigates.

Five German torpedo boats and 300 soldiers are due to head back from the Horn to a base in Rostock, northern Germany, at the end of this month.

German warships began patrolling the shipping lanes off the Horn in early February.

The United States fears that war-ravaged Somalia, lacking any central authority, could prove an ideal haven for al-Qaeda.