Five suspected Somali pirates were taken into custody Thursday after firing\u00a0at a U.S. Navy battleship deep in the Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles off the East African coast.<\/p>\n
In what appeared to be an ill-conceived attack for ransom, pirates shot small arms rounds at the guided missile frigate USS Nicholas.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Nicholas returned fire, sinking\u00a0the\u00a0small pirate skiff and taking its two passengers into custody at around 3 a.m.\u00a0 The Nicholas crew, home-ported in Norfolk, Va., also captured two suspected pirates onboard the pirates’\u00a0nearby mothership.<\/p>\n
A third pirate skiff fled the scene. Navy spokesman Lt. Patrick Foughty would not say if the Navy is pursuing that vessel.<\/p>\n
Pirates usually operate from small motor boats they launch from “motherships” — typically much larger boats they’ve either stolen or highjacked. Motherships carry supplies and fuel, giving pirates the ability to operate much farther from the well patrolled coastline.<\/p>\n
U.S. and international forces have significantly increased their anti-piracy efforts in the region. Today’s incident represents the start\u00a0of what’s become known as “pirate season,” when monsoons near the Gulf of Aden and West African coast subside, calming the seas and making way for the pirates to operate.<\/p>\n
All five suspected pirates are being held on board the USS Nicholas while the military determines where to take them next. In the past Somali pirates have been brought to Kenya for trial. In 2009 the United States and the government of Kenya signed an agreement allowing for pirates to be tried in Kenyan courts. The agreement solved a long-standing dilemma about what do with pirates, knowing that Somalia does not have a justice system capable of handling them.<\/p>\n
Somalia’s failed state has proved to be a breeding ground for pirates. In many cases pirates are successful in getting millions of dollars in ransom for their hostages, earning them a rich, almost celebrity-status on the mainland.<\/p>\n