US ship fires on small boats off Somalia coast
A U.S. Navy supply ship off the coast of Somalia fired warning shots toward two small boats that continued to approach the vessel after it took defensive measures to deter them, the Navy said on Wednesday.
There were no casualties in the incident that occurred on Tuesday, when a security team opened fire from aboard the USNS John Lenthall, a replenishment oiler that provides fuel to Navy ships at sea.
"The rounds impacted the water approximately 50 yards (45.7 meters) from the closest boat and resulted in both small boats ending their pursuit. All shots were accounted for as they entered the water," said a statement from the Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
The Lenthall is one of 14 replenishment oilers operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command.
"They initially used defensive measures and when those weren't enough the security personnel took action to defend the ship," Capt. Steve Kelley, the commander responsible for sealift ships in the region, said in the statement.
The Navy said it was unclear whether the boats meant to attack the 41,000-ton (37,195 tonne) ship but said their behavior was consistent with reports of previous attacks on merchant vessels in the region.
The Navy did not say specifically where the incident occurred but emphasized it was not in the area of the Gulf of Aden that is patrolled by maritime security vessels.
There were no casualties in the incident that occurred on Tuesday, when a security team opened fire from aboard the USNS John Lenthall, a replenishment oiler that provides fuel to Navy ships at sea.
"The rounds impacted the water approximately 50 yards (45.7 meters) from the closest boat and resulted in both small boats ending their pursuit. All shots were accounted for as they entered the water," said a statement from the Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
The Lenthall is one of 14 replenishment oilers operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command.
"They initially used defensive measures and when those weren't enough the security personnel took action to defend the ship," Capt. Steve Kelley, the commander responsible for sealift ships in the region, said in the statement.
The Navy said it was unclear whether the boats meant to attack the 41,000-ton (37,195 tonne) ship but said their behavior was consistent with reports of previous attacks on merchant vessels in the region.
The Navy did not say specifically where the incident occurred but emphasized it was not in the area of the Gulf of Aden that is patrolled by maritime security vessels.