Hostage captain recaptured by pirates after dramatic escape attemptThere was a dramatic new twist to the Indian Ocean pirate stand-off today when the American captain held by Somalis off the African coast attempted to escape by diving into the water.
Captain Richard Phillips, who has been drifting on a lifeboat with his captors for two days, leapt overboard but was retaken by the gang, which is believed to be seeking a ransom for his safe return.
Captain Phillips had been reported to be unharmed after being taken hostage by the four pirates, who failed to capture his 17,000 tonne US-flagged container ship, the Maersk Alabama, on Wednesday. The ship’s lifeboat has run out of fuel, and although two boats full of heavily-armed fellow pirates have taken to sea in solidarity, their crews are too nervous to come near due to the presence of foreign naval ships - including the USS Bainbridge destroyer.
FBI hostage negotiators became directly involved in the high-seas drama yesterday, but their efforts were met with defiance today when one of the pirates said the group would fight any attack by US naval forces.
“We are not afraid of the Americans,” one of the pirates told the Reuters news agency by satellite phone. “We will defend ourselves if attacked.”
No comments:
Post a Comment