The Spanish navy says it has rescued a French woman who was abducted by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

Evelyne Colombo and her husband Christian were sailing their yacht in the Gulf on Thursday when they were allegedly attacked by pirates and taken hostage.

The Spanish defense ministry says the amphibious warship Galicia located the pirates' boat Saturday and sank it with the help of a helicopter and naval warfare team.

It says following the confrontation, Spanish sailors arrested seven suspected pirates and rescued a woman, who turned out to be Evelyne Colombo.

Christian Colombo was not aboard the pirate ship. The European Union anti-piracy force says it believes pirates killed him when they boarded the yacht.

Boating enthusiasts have been advised to avoid the Gulf of Aden and other pirate-infested waters near Somalia.

Somali pirates have made hundreds of millions of dollars over the past few years seizing ships and sailors for ransom.