U.S. Navy kills four Somali pirates
Four Somali pirates attacking a German-owned super tanker were killed Tuesday by a U.S. Navy helicopter, the Navy said.
The Artemis Glory was en route from Juuaymah Terminal in Saudi Arabia to China when it was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement from Combined Maritime Force, the international coalition headed by a U.S. admiral that is trying to protect shipping lanes around the Middle East and off the coast of East Africa.
A British warship received a distress call from the Artemis and confirmed that the tanker was being pursued by a skiff with four individuals on board who were firing small arms at the vessel.
The U.S. destroyer Bulkeley responded to the call for help and dispatched a helicopter to the scene. The helicopter opened fire on the skiff and all the pirates are believed to have been killed, the Navy statement said.
No crewmembers were injured, it said.
The incident highlights the increasing willingness of international naval forces patrolling the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean to use force to protect merchant ships. The Indian Navy has been especially aggressive firing at suspected pirates.
U.S. Navy kills four Somali pirates
