Pirates Attack US Navy Ship; Predictable Results Ensue

Pirates versus a US Navy ship on patrol in the Indian Ocean looking for pirate vessels? The pirates never had a chance.

A group of suspected pirates was captured Thursday after attacking a U.S. Navy frigate in the Indian Ocean, according to a statement released by the U.S. Sixth Fleet.

The USS Nicholas reported taking fire from a suspected pirate skiff shortly after midnight local time west of the Seychelles, the statement said. The Nicholas quickly returned fire and began pursuing the skiff, which was eventually disabled. A boarding team from the Nicholas subsequently captured and detained three people, the statement said.

The team discovered ammunition and several cans of fuel aboard the skiff, which was later sunk by the Nicholas.

Two more suspected pirates were captured on a confiscated "mother ship," the statement said. The detainees will "remain in U.S. custody on board Nicholas until a determination is made regarding their disposition," it said.

The pirates remain a scourge in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, particularly around Somalia and extending out to the Seychelles. Showing the pirates that the risks of further attacks on shipping are too great versus the ransoms that are routinely paid out by shipping concerns will finally get piracy under control off the coast of Somalia. That means killing pirates attacking shipping and sinking their ships. Until that happens, the pirates will continue attacking shipping.