Capt. Richard Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vermont, was seized on Thursday when he thwarted the takeover of the 17,000-ton US-flagged Maersk Alabama, which was carrying food aid for hungry people in Somalia, Rwanda and Uganda. He told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members told stateside relatives.
A US military official said that early Saturday the pirates in the lifeboat fired a few shots at a small Navy vessel that had approached, possibly to conduct reconnaissance. No one was hurt and the Navy vessel turned away, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The US sailors did not return fire, he said. The US had not approached in a rescue attempt, he said.
The pirates are believed to be armed with pistols and AK-47s.
