Rescued U.S. ship captain arrives in Kenya

Source: Xinhua | 04-17-2009 08:16

MOMBASA, Kenya, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The American ship captain held hostage by pirates for days off the coast of Somalia arrived safely in the Kenyan port of Mombasa on Thursday.

Richard Phillips was aboard the USS Bainbridge, the ship that rescued him on Sunday when U.S. Navy sharpshooters shot three of his pirate captors.

The captain's crew of 19 earlier landed back in the U.S. and was greeted by friends and family off their flight from Kenya.

They said Capt. Phillips had agreed to become a hostage so that his men could go free after pirates seized the Maersk Alabama last week.

The crew sailed the ship to Mombasa, Kenya, after the pirates and Capt Phillips left the vessel. He just missed reuniting with his crew, who arrived, back home in the U.S. hours earlier.

The USS Bainbridge diverted to respond to a distress signal from the U.S. cargo ship Liberty Sun, the second American ship attacked by Somali pirates in a week.

The crew of the Liberty Sun successfully warded off the attack and arrived safely in Kenya with the supply of food aid Wednesday.

Another 11 pirates were captured by a French military ship on Wednesday off the coast of Kenya. French officials said they followed the pirates after helping stop an attack on a Liberian-registered vessel.

Various pirate groups are now holding at least 16 ships with more than 250 crew members.

The U.S., China and other countries have been conducting naval patrols off Somalia in an effort to stem the hijackings.

Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia have intensified attacks on shipping in recent weeks in one of the world's busiest sea lanes, despite patrols by the navy forces.

Editor:Zhang Yun