Video: Navy Captures Pirate Mothership

Forces from the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard captured a pirate mothership yesterday off the coast of Yemen — and nabbed 17 would-be hijackers, too. Here’s the video:

According to the Navy, at approximately 3:30 pm, the Republic of Korea destroyer Munmu the Great and American guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg responded to a distress call from the Egyptian-flagged Motor Vessel Amira, about 75 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen. The pirates had hit the ship with assault rifle rounds and a rocket-propelled grenade — but weren’t able to board the Amira.

Gettysburg and Munmu the Great launched their helicopters. One soon spotted “a dhow suspected of serving as a pirate ‘mothership’ with approximately 17 people onboard.”

A Gettysburg search and seizure team boarded the suspected “mothership” along with members of U.S. Coast Guard Legal Detachment (LEDET) 409 and apprehended the suspected pirates after finding eight assault rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and one rocket-propelled grenade. All 17 of the passengers were brought on board Gettysburg for further questioning.

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