( CNN ) -- Eleven Somalis convicted of piracy-related crimes are heading to prison in the island nation of Seychelles , the archipelago 's department of legal affairs said in a press release . The Seychelles ' Supreme Court Monday convicted and sentenced eight of the Somalis for committing an act of piracy and the other three for aiding and abetting an act of piracy . Each of the 11 was sentenced to 10 years in prison , said the statement . The presiding judge of the Supreme Court acquitted the suspects on five other charges related to `` acts of terrorism . '' On December 5 and 6 , the pirates -- who were in two small boats -- attacked the Seychelles coast guard vessel Topaz with automatic weapons . `` The aiders and abettors were found in a mother skiff not very far from the attack , '' said the statement . `` Evidence has revealed that the mother skiff had provided ammunitions and firearms to the two attack skiffs before they effected the attack . '' The international piracy cases are the first to be prosecuted in the Seychelles . The department of legal affairs said the convictions `` will serve as a deterrent for prospective Somali pirates who would otherwise have thought that they would have come into Seychelles waters with impunity . '' `` There are 29 other suspected and accused Somali pirates who are still awaiting trial in Seychelles or transfer from the Republic of Seychelles to Somalia , '' the statement said . The Seychelles are a group of more than 110 islands located off the east coast of Africa in the western Indian Ocean .
NEW : Somalia hopes the case will be a ` ` deterrent '' to other Somali pirates . The two cases are the first to be tried in the country . 29 other alleged Somali pirates are awaiting trial .