U.S. Navy helps ship hijacked by pirates near Somalia

Published 12:27 pm Tuesday, October 30, 2007

NAIROBI, Kenya — The U.S. military said a Navy destroyer off the coast of Somalia helped sailors onboard a North Korean ship regain control of their vessel from pirates who hijacked the vessel.

A helicopter flew from the USS James E. Williams to investigate a phoned-in tip of a hijacked ship, and demanded by bridge-to-bridge radio that the pirates give their weapons, the military said in a statement. The sailors then overwhelmed the hijackers, leaving two pirates dead, according to preliminary reports, and five captured, the military said.

Three seriously injured crew members were brought onboard the Williams, it said.