US Navy thwarts Somali pirate seizure of ship

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http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/100416/world/somalia_shipping_piracy_us_thailand

US Navy thwarts Somali pirate seizure of ship

2 hours, 29 minutes ago

MANAMA (AFP) - A US naval destroyer thwarted an attempt by suspected Somali

pirates to seize a Thai-flagged ship in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, the

multinational anti-piracy task force said.

The bulk carrier MV Thor Traveler came under attack in the early hours by a

skiff with seven suspected pirates who fired on it for 10 minutes with rifles

and rocket-propelled grenades, a statement said.

A distress call was answered by the USS Farragut, whose helicopter " located the

suspected pirate skiff as it was attempting to escape. The helicopter used

spotlights and smoke floats to warn the skiff to stop and witnessed the skiff

throw items overboard. "

It said a boarding team confiscated further " pirate paraphernalia, " and that the

skiff was instructed to head back to the Somali coast.

The Farragut is the flagship of the task force, which was established in January

2009 to counter piracy and which patrols more than 2.5 million square miles (6.5

million square kilometres) in the Gulf of Aden and off the east coast of

Somalia.