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MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) - A counter-piracy international naval task force says an Australian naval team in the Indian Ocean has captured nine suspected pirates sought after attacks on a supertanker and a fishing vessel last week.
Sunday's statement from the Bahrain-based Combined Task Force 151 said the suspected pirate skiffs were spotted about 500 nautical miles (925 kilometers) off the coast of Somalia. A team from the guided missile frigate HMAS Melbourne boarded the boats Oct. 15 and took nine suspected pirates into custody.
The pirates are believed to have carried out attacks on a Hong Kong-flagged supertanker and Spanish fishing vessels.
Pirate attacks have dropped in recent years off the Horn of Africa with the increase of surveillance and protection from a 29-nation naval force.
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