AFR: US captain held by Somali pirates freed: State Dept
13 Apr 2009 3:50 AM
WASHINGTON, April 12 AFP - Richard Phillips, the US merchant captain seized by Somali pirates and held hostage for five days on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean, has been freed, a State Department spokeswoman said on Sunday.
"I can confirm that Captain Phillips has been safely recovered," said spokeswoman Laura Tischler, without providing additional details on the operation.
CNN television, citing a senior US official, reported that three of the four pirates holding Phillips were killed, and the fourth pirate is in custody.
Phillips, who was unharmed, has been taken aboard the USS Bainbridge, one of the two US naval warships involved in the tense standoff off the Somali coast, according to the network.
