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UPDATE
The four Americans aboard the U.S.-flagged Quest were shot and killed by their Somali captors, the U.S. Central Command announced today.
It marked the first time U.S. citizens were killed in pirate attacks on shipping in the region.
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Earlier posting...
It’s rather strange that U.S. media have to get updated input on Somali pirates’ latest grab, a U.S.-flagged yacht, from one of their official (or unofficial) spokesmen rather from the U.S. State Department or the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain, observes Grumpy Editor.
Identified only as Hassan, the pirates "spokesman" over the weekend fed the press latest details on the captured yacht. He said a warship with a helicopter was shadowing the U.S. vessel.
Only word from U.S. agencies and the military is that they “are monitoring the situation.”
Somali pirates Friday hijacked the yacht, S/V Quest, about 275 miles off the Oman coast in the Arabian Sea.
Four Americans were on board, including the yacht’s owners, missionaries Jean and Scott Adam, from Southern California. They were in their seventh year on a round-the-world journey, distributing Bibles along the way.
Tough talk comes from the spokesman for the pirates.
Hassan, just before the latest hijacking, told reporters in Somalia that pirates would target Americans in retaliation for last week’s New York court sentencing of a Somali pirate to 33 years in prison.
Americans would suffer “regrettable consequences,” he added.
Just two weeks ago, pirates in the same area --- 220 miles off Oman --- hijacked a U.S.-bound 1,082-foot long supertanker that provides one fifth of daily U.S. crude imports. With a crew of 25, the Greek-flagged Irene SL was headed for the Gulf of Mexico.
Despite its mammoth size, making it more visible from the air or sea, there has been no further word on the supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of oil worth $200 million.
Between 30 to 40 vessels and 660 to 800 crew members are being held by pirates who generally seek ransoms.
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