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U.S. cruiser takes dhow back from pirates

RAS FARTAK, Yemen, June 1 (UPI) -- A U.S. Navy cruiser on an anti-narcotics patrol off Yemen boarded and freed a Yemeni dhow that had been seized by pirates, the Navy has announced.

The five Yemeni crew members were rescued during the May 26 operation in the Arabian Sea, military officials said in a news release.

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The USS San Jacinto, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, was on routine patrol 68 miles southeast of Ras Fartak when it spotted the dhow, Al Jhawat. The San Jacinto sent a boarding team for an inspection.

After the Al Jhawat's crew was mustered, the team found one man hiding under a blanket and a stash of four AK-47 assault rifles and four rocket-propelled grenades.

The captain of the dhow said the vessel had been seized a day earlier and identified the pirates, who had been attempting to use the crew as camouflage. Eight of the 13 men on board were identified as pirates.

The U.S. team remained on board until Yemeni authorities arrived.

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