US Special Ops Raid In Somalia
2012.01.25
United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) staged a daring night-time raid into Somalia Wednesday, freeing 2 western hostages, a US and Danish citizen, and killing a number of pirates.
The operation, believed to include SEALs from SEAL Team 6, otherwise known as DEVGRU, parachuted into the country from an aircraft before raiding the location, where the 2 hostages were being held for ransom by pirates, about 12 miles north of the town of Adalo. The operation on the ground lasted for about an hour before 2 helicopters, thought to be flown by pilots from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, extracted the US SOF personnel and the hostages. Pararescuemen and Combat Controllers with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, an airforce SOF unit that is part of JSOC along with DEVGRU and Delta Force, were said to be involved in the operation.
The 2 hostages, Jessica Buchanan (32) and Poul Hagan Thisted (60), both aid workers, were freed unharmed in the operation. None of the US forces were reported to have taken casualties. 9 pirates were killed.
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