U.S. captain was in ‘imminent danger’ of being killed, official says

WASHINGTON — A U.S. military official said today that the American sea captain held hostage by Somali pirates was in “imminent danger” of being killed by his captors before U.S. Special Operations forces fatally shot them.

The hostage, Richard Phillips, was not hurt in the several minutes of gunfire off the Somali coast today. Phillips was safely transported to a Navy warship nearby, and credited Navy SEALs for his release.

The military official said three pirates were killed and one surrendered to U.S. forces. The military official described a tense and terrifying few minutes for Phillips.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the event publicly.

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