The surviving pirate caught by US forces in a high-seas drama off Somalia is reportedly due to appear in court in New York on what are believed to be the first US piracy charges in a century.
Abdi Wali Muse arrived in the city late yesterday. US media said he was expected in court today but the prosecutor's office in New York would not confirm the reports.
One of the issues surrounding Muse's capture and the unusual decision to try him in the US courts is his age.
Reports from New York said he was 19. But Voice of America reported that his father, Abdilkadir Muse, said his son was 16 years old, and had not been in previous trouble.
US legal officials would need to determine his age and whether he could be tried as an adult.
Meanwhile, Somali pirates have released an Asian chemical tanker they captured five months ago but they still hold at least 17 other ships.
The MT Stolt Strength, captured by pirates on 10 November, was freed with its crew of 23 Filipinos.
And a British ship foiled pirate attacks on two merchant vessels in the waters off Somalia on Saturday.
The British Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Wave Knight also helped to secure the release of 13 Yemeni fishermen who had been held hostage for a week.
After receiving a distress call from the Greek-owned Handytankers Magic at about 8am, the British vessel chased a small pirate skiff back to its 'mother ship', a fishing dhow.
The Dutch warship HNLMS De Zeven Provincien arrived on the scene and freed the fishermen, who had been held captive since 12 April.
Seven suspected pirates aboard the dhow were disarmed, but had to be released because they were not captured in the act of piracy.
Two hours later RFA Wave Knight received a second distress call, this time from the Norwegian tanker Front Ardennes.
Wave Knight successfully prevented pirates from boarding the vessel and fired warning shots which caused the attackers to flee.
The British ship followed the pirate skiff for six hours until it was relieved by a Canadian warship, HMCS Winnipeg, which caught the pirates before letting them go.
