US military says pirates killed four Americans (Roundup)

Feb 22, 2011, 18:35 GMT

Washington - Pirates killed four Americans Tuesday aboard a captured yacht off the coast of Somalia, the US military said.

The US Navy had been trailing the yacht, the S/V Quest, since Friday, when it was hijacked off the coast of Oman by Somali pirates, who took the Americans hostage. Negotiations for the release of the hostages had been ongoing.

The Navy stormed the vessel after detecting gunfire and discovered the Americans had been shot by their captors, US Central Command, based in Tampa, Florida, said.

Two pirates died during the confrontation and 13 were captured, and the bodies of two other pirates already dead were found aboard the yacht, said Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the region.

The Navy provided immediate care to the hostages, but was unable to save their lives.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a statement condemning the slayings and said the international community needs to intensify efforts to combat piracy.

'This deplorable act firmly underscores the need for continued international progress toward confronting the shared security challenge posed by piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa,' Clinton said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama on Saturday authorized the use of force against the pirates in the event there was an 'imminent threat' to the hostages.

The sailors aboard the S/V Quest had been participating in the Blue Water Rally off the coast of India before diverting on another route February 15, a rally official said over the weekend. The official identified the four Americans as Scott and Jean Adam, and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle.

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