WASHINGTON – The United States military said it captured Somali pirates, who tried to seize a cargo ship bound for Israel, two days ago in the Gulf of Aden.
The US military initially accused the Houthi fighters in Yemen of being behind the attack.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder noted that the United States has not ruled out the Houthis’ connection with the attempted hijacking of Somali pirates.
“We are continuing to assess, but the initial indications we have are that these five people are Somalis,” said Ryder.
“It’s clearly a piracy-related incident,” he added.
The hijacking attempt comes at a time when Yemen’s Houthis, who are supported by Iran, have launched a series of attacks on ships in the Gulf.
