N. Koreans fight off pirates off Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- A U.S. Navy ship was treating three wounded North Korean sailors injured in a deadly fight with pirates off the coast of Somalia.

In a statement, the Navy said the attempted hijacking took place Tuesday about 70 miles northeast of Mogadishu, CNN reported.

The North Korean freighter Dai Hong Dan was overrun with pirates who seized the ship's bridge. However, the crew retained control of the engines and steering gear and opened fire.

Two of the pirates were killed and five were captured, the Navy said. Three injured North Korean crewmembers were taken aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams for medical treatment.

The North Koreans chose to keep the captured pirates aboard their own ship, the report said.

The U.S. Navy was also searching for a Japanese-owned and Panamanian-flagged Golden Nori off the Horn of Africa that was hijacked Sunday night, CNN said.