US Navy nabs suspected pirates

2006-01-22 11:03

Manama - US Navy vessels captured an number of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast on Saturday after firing warning shots at their ship, the US Naval Forces Central Command said.

The Navy's Fifth Fleet "captured a group of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, approximately 85km off the central eastern coast of Somalia," it said in a joint statement with the Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain.

"After receiving a report of an attempted act of piracy (on Friday)... the guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill and other US naval forces in the area located the vessel of the suspected pirates" and shadowed it through the night.

On Saturday, the Churchill began questioning the "pirate vessel" over ship-to-ship radio and requested the crew leave the vessel and board the two small boats they had in tow.

"Following repeated and continuous attempts to establish communications with the vessel to no avail, Churchill began aggressive manoeuvring in an attempt to stop the vessel," the statement said.

After the ship continued on its course and speed, "Churchill fired warning shots. The vessel cut speed and went dead in the water."

Churchill then issued a warning via ship-to-ship radio that it would begin taking further action to force the crew to respond and to leave the vessel, the statement said.

It later "fired additional warning shots, and at that time the crew of the suspect pirate vessel established communications by radio and indicated that they would begin sending personnel to the Churchill via their small boat in tow," it said.

The master of the pirate vessel "started sending members of the crew to Churchill. US Navy sailors from Churchill then boarded the suspect vessel and discovered small arms," the statement added, without making clear how many suspects were detained.

- SAPA