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 NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - The U.S. Navy on Friday kept its eye on a Japanese tanker taken over by pirates off Somalia's coast, while a top U.S. official said piracy remains a "very serious security problem" in the region.
Earlier this week, a North Korean tanker overrun by pirates was taken back after crew members overpowered the hijackers in a bloody fight. The hijackers were being held aboard the ship until they can be handed over for prosecution at a port.
The U.S. Navy's also came to the aid of the Japanese chemical tanker this week, with the guided missile destroyer USS Porter at one point opening fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to it. On Thursday, the U.S. Navy said that it intended to remove the pirates from the Japanese tanker.
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