No comment, for now.The four Americans aboard a yacht hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia are dead, CBS News has learned.
Hijacked last Friday off Oman, the Quest was being piloted toward the Somali coast - and was being shadowed by a U.S. Navy warship.
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports that gunshots aboard the yacht were heard, and the warship took action.
All 4 Americans were dead, killed apparently by their captors.
There were more than a dozen pirates on board, some dead and others captured, Martin reports.
The Americans were Scott Adam and his wife, Jean, of Marina del Rey, Calif.; and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle, both of Seattle.
Update: Official Navy story details events.
At approximately 1 a.m. EST today, while negotiations were ongoing to secure the release of four American hostages, U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the pirated vessel (S/V) Quest.I don't know what Operation New Dawn is, but there is certainly a "New Dawn" regarding the reality of what to expect from Somali piracy when it comes to Americans at sea in the region.
As they responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.
"We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest," said Gen James N. Mattis, U.S. Central Command Commander.
During the boarding of the Quest, the reaction force was engaged by pirates on board the vessel. Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured and detained along with two pirates already in US Forces custody. The US Forces also found the remains of two other pirates already dead aboard the Quest. In total, it is believed 19 pirates were involved in the hijacking of the S/V Quest.
US Forces have been closely monitoring the S/V Quest for approximately 3 days, once it became known to be pirated. Four U.S. Navy warships comprised the response force dedicated to recovering the S/V Quest: the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65), the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), the guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS Bulkeley (DDG 84). The ships are deployed to the region to conduct maritime security operations and to provide support to operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.
Update Two:
During the press conference this morning with Admiral Fox, we learned that it started with a RPG shot at USS Sterett (DDG 104), with gunfire from the yacht heard shortly afterward.
The Navy responded with small boat VBSS teams, where many pirates surrendered. Upon clearing the ship, one additional pirate was shot while another was killed in close quarters combat with a knife.
The Americans were already shot and mortally wounded when the Navy boarding team arrived, and all four died from those wounds.
2 pirates were on USS Sterett (DDG 104) negotiating when the incident occurred. 2 pirates were already dead before the Navy arrived, and 2 were killed while clearing the yacht. In total, there were 19 pirates involved in capturing the yacht, and the 15 pirate survivors will be brought to the US to face trial for piracy.
The Navy did not fire a shot prior to boarding the yacht, meaning the boarding was not resisted by pirates. Only after boarding and capturing 13 of the 15 pirates on the yacht did the Navy face resistance. The operation was carried about by Navy Special Operators, but the term "SEAL" was intentionally not used in describing the boarding party.
There are still several questions, but they are unlikely to come out until a full investigation is complete. The investigation is important because it will determine the charges for the pirates. One question I've already seen asked by Phil Ewing of Politico is whether the pirates on USS Sterett (DDG 104) were in contact, or able to send a signal, to the pirates that led to the violence. It's a good question.
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