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US Navy detains 17 suspected pirates

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-14 22:01

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The US Navy says 17 suspected pirates have been apprehended after an attack on an Egyptian ship in the Gulf of Aden.

Photo provided by the Bundeswehr shows a pirate boat before it was approached last month by German sailors in the Gulf of Aden. [Agencies]

The Navy said in a statement Thursday that Korean Destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great and the US guided missile cruiser Gettysburg dispatched helicopters to aid Motor Vessel Amira after it came under attack.

A Gettysburg-based specialized boarding team also boarded the suspected pirate "mothership," a larger vessel which pirates use for logistical support.

The Navy said it brought the alleged pirates on board the Gettysburg for further questioning. Also confiscated were eight assault rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a rocket-propelled grenade.

The incident occurred Wednesday, about 75 miles south of Yemen's al-Mukalla port.