US warship in scene of Somali pirates standoff

A US Navy warship, the USS Bainbridge, has arrived at the scene of a hijack drama involving Somali pirates and a US ship, a defense official says. The US-flagged cargo ship, Maersk Alabama vessel, carrying 20 American crew members, was en route to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was attacked about 500 km (310 miles) off Somalia's coast On Wednesday. However, after a while, the crewmembers regained control of the vessel, forcing the pirates to flee to a lifeboat with the captain held as hostage. The crew members have been negotiating with the pirates for the return of the captain.