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| US captain held by pirates freed | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The captain of a US container ship taken hostage by Somali pirates has been released, the US Navy has said. | The captain of a US container ship taken hostage by Somali pirates has been released, the US Navy has said. |
| Three pirates are reported to have been killed in the operation to free Captain Richard Phillips, who had been held in a lifeboat for several days. | |
| Capt Phillips is said to be unhurt and aboard the USS Bainbridge, a warship sent to track the pirates holding him. | |
| He was taken hostage after pirates briefly hijacked his ship, the Maersk Alabama, on Wednesday. | |
| On Friday he failed in an attempt to swim free. | On Friday he failed in an attempt to swim free. |
| An unnamed US official told the Associated Press news agency that Capt Phillips was freed in what appeared to be a swift firefight. | |
| Reports say he jumped overboard for a second time, and the pirates were shot and killed before they could take action to get him back. | |
| US forces apparently took advantage of the fact one of the pirates was negotiating on the USS Bainbridge when the incident happened. | |
| Somali elders had been trying to resolve the standoff but most recent reports had suggested the talks had stalled. | |
| Crew's relief | Crew's relief |
| Media reports say his family was informed of his release several hours ago. | Media reports say his family was informed of his release several hours ago. |
| MAJOR PIRATE INCIDENTS Ukrainian ship MV Faina seized on 25 September 2008, held until 5 February 2009Saudi tanker Sirius Star held for two months from November 2008; a $3m ransom was negotiatedAt least 15 pirate attacks reported to International Maritime Bureau during March 2009The 32,500-tonnSources at the ship's owne Malaspina Castle, UK-owned but operated by Italians, seized on 6 April 2009. Growing sophistication of pirates Q&A: Somali piracy Profile: Capt Richard Phillips | |
| The head of Maersk Line Ltd., the company that owns the ship, thanked the Navy, FBI and others for helping in the release. | The head of Maersk Line Ltd., the company that owns the ship, thanked the Navy, FBI and others for helping in the release. |
| "We join Richard's family, his crew and his colleagues ashore in celebrating this wonderful news," John Reinhart said in a statement. | "We join Richard's family, his crew and his colleagues ashore in celebrating this wonderful news," John Reinhart said in a statement. |
| "We look forward to welcoming him home in the coming days." | "We look forward to welcoming him home in the coming days." |
| The BBC's Karen Allen in the Kenyan port of Mombasa says there will be relief among the ship's crew, who are currently being questioned by US federal agents there. | |
| Crew members have hailed Capt Phillips as a hero, saying he offered himself as a hostage in order to save them when the Maersk Alabama was attacked. | |
| News of the captain's release came shortly after four French citizens, including a three-year-old boy, whose yacht was seized by pirates returned to Paris. | |
| They were freed by French troops on Friday. The yacht's owner, Florent Lemacon, was killed during the operation along with two pirates. | |
| On Saturday, pirates hijacked a tugboat in the Gulf of Aden. The Buccaneer has 16 crew members on board, 10 of them Italians. |