Wednesday, January 25, 2012

US special forces free pirate hostages in night-time helicopter raid into Somalia

Via Theo Spark

Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Thisted, 60, were freed unharmed after a gun battle that left nine pirates dead, sources in Somalia said.

As many as six helicopters were involved in the operation, using the cover of darkness to fly low and land at the village where the pair were being held, landing soon after 2am.

The apparently well-planned operation took less than an hour and no US troops were injured, it is understood.

It is the first time that Washington has ordered its troops into lawless Somalia on a hostage rescue mission, and carried a huge risk of public outcry in America if it had gone wrong.

No US boots have overtly been on Somali soil since the infamous Black Hawk Down debacle in 1993.

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