June 3, 2007 incident off Somalia

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Action of June 7, 2006

Part of the Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa

Date	7 June 2007
Location	off the coast of Somalia
Result	Inconclusive, pirates escape with captured freighter

Belligerents

United States

Somali Pirates

Strength

1 Dock Landing Ship

1 captured freighter
3 skiffs

Casualties and losses

none

3 skiffs sunk

OEF-Horn of Africa

March 18, 2006 incident – Ras Kamboni – June 3, 2007 incident – Bargal – October 28, 2007 incident – Dobley – Dhusamareb

[edit] Background

See also: Piracy in Somalia

The rise of the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia had stopped the spread of piracy in the region with its following of strict Islamic law punishing pirates harshly. When the Ethiopian and Somali Government forces overan the ICU, a lack of strict enforcement allowed the pirates to rebound and once again prey upon shipping in the region by early 2007.

[edit] Events

The USS Carter Hall responded to a distress call after the capture of the Danish ship Danica White by pirates. Three pirate skiffs had boarded and seized the vessel. The Carter Hall ordered the pirates to cease and desist but was ignored. She then began to fire warning shots with small arms across the bow of the Danica White to no avail. The pirates merely continued on their course and ignored the US Naval vessel. The Carter Hall then opened fire upon the pirate skiffs using her 25 mm cannon as well as smaller caliber guns. After setting the three skiffs alight and destroying them the pirates fled into Somali territorial waters, preventing the American vessel from giving further chase as they had no longer had the authority to do so under international law. After much negotiation the pirates finally released the ship and crew to a French warship on August 22, 2007. The pirates had demanded 1.5 million dollars ransom in exchange for the release, but it is unclear what amount was actually paid. The crew returned home safely to Denmark on the twenty-eighth after 83 days of captivity.