Iranian nationals taken hostage by Somali pirates over a month ago were rescued by United States sailors on Thursday. According to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, pirates hijacked the Al Molai about 40 to 45 days ago and held the 13 crew members hostage. A helicopter from the destroyer USS Kidd, which is part of the USS John Stennis Strike Group, spotted the Al Molai and a pirate vessel in the North Arabian sea on Thursday.
The Al Molai sent out a distress call and a team from the USS Kidd responded. The team boarded the fishing boat and arrested 15 suspected pirates. All 13 Iranians were freed and the captain of the fishing boat expressed his “sincere gratitude” for the rescue, according to Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent Josh Schminky.
"He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months," Schminky added.
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