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 MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - Somali militiamen who skirmished with U.S. Navy vessels denied Sunday that they had fired the first shot, claiming that they had been patrolling Somali waters to stop illegal fishing.
On Saturday, two U.S. Navy ships exchanged gunfire with the suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, killing one and wounding five. No U.S. sailors were injured. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said again on Sunday that its ships did not fire first, disputing the militiamen's version.
"The Navy ship returned fire after being fired upon," fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown told The Associated Press.
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