Danes: Pirates off West Africa suspected of taking hostages

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s military says pirates are suspected of taking six hostages from a container ship in international waters in the Gulf of Guinea earlier this week. While sailing off West Africa on an international anti-piracy mission, the Danish navy frigate HDMS Esbern Snare responded Monday to information that a container ship was under attack near Bioko Island off Equatorial Guinea. The Danish military said Tuesday that the frigate dispatched a Seahawk helicopter, which observed several suspected pirates and hostages boarding a skiff stationed alongside the vessel. The helicopter crew pursued the skiff as it sailed north. However, the aircraft had to stop when it reached the airspace above the national waters of Nigeria.