Somali pirates kill 4 Americans
Source: Agencies |
February 23, 2011, Wednesday
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FOUR Americans taken hostage by Somali pirates off East Africa were shot and killed by their captors on Monday, the US military said, marking the first time US citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks plaguing the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean for years.
US naval forces, who were trailing the Americans' captured yacht with four warships, quickly boarded the vessel after hearing the gunfire and tried to provide lifesaving care to the Americans, but they died of their wounds, the US Central Command said.
Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured. The remains of two other pirates who were already dead for some time were also found. The US military didn't state how those two might have died.
Negotiations had been under way to try to win the release of the two couples on the pirated vessel Quest when the gunfire was heard, the US military said.
The Quest was the home of Jean and Scott Adam, a couple from California who had been sailing around the world since December 2004. The two other Americans on board were Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, of Seattle, Washington.
"We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest," said General James N. Mattis, US Central Command Commander.
In total the US said that 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking of the Quest.
The military said US forces had been monitoring the Quest since shortly after it was attacked on Friday. Four Navy warships were involved, including an aircraft carrier.
Last week a Somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison by a New York court for the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, a US cargo vessel. That hijacking ended when Navy sharpshooters killed two pirates holding the ship's captain.
US naval forces, who were trailing the Americans' captured yacht with four warships, quickly boarded the vessel after hearing the gunfire and tried to provide lifesaving care to the Americans, but they died of their wounds, the US Central Command said.
Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured. The remains of two other pirates who were already dead for some time were also found. The US military didn't state how those two might have died.
Negotiations had been under way to try to win the release of the two couples on the pirated vessel Quest when the gunfire was heard, the US military said.
The Quest was the home of Jean and Scott Adam, a couple from California who had been sailing around the world since December 2004. The two other Americans on board were Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, of Seattle, Washington.
"We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest," said General James N. Mattis, US Central Command Commander.
In total the US said that 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking of the Quest.
The military said US forces had been monitoring the Quest since shortly after it was attacked on Friday. Four Navy warships were involved, including an aircraft carrier.
Last week a Somali pirate was sentenced to 33 years in prison by a New York court for the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, a US cargo vessel. That hijacking ended when Navy sharpshooters killed two pirates holding the ship's captain.
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