A US merchant captain has been freed and three Somali pirates reportedly shot dead in an operation ito release the hostage in the India Ocean.

Richard Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama, is unharmed after an operation against the pirates on Sunday, US officials said.

Three of the four pirates holding Phillips were killed in the operation while the fourth has been taken into custody, the American news network CNN reported, citing an unidentified US official.

Phillips’ release comes a day after the 17,000-tonne Maersk Alabama and its crew, which had been released by the pirates, arrived in Mombasa, Kenya.

ALJAZEERA.NET

Captain Phillips saw an opportunity to jump into the water and did.  At that point,  U. S. Navy seals went into action and did what they had to do.  God bless them.  God bless our military, they are the best in the world.