SEALS storm S'pore-chartered ship

SEALS storm S'pore-chartered ship

SINGAPORE: U.S. Navy SEALS stormed a Singapore-chartered
container ship off the coast of Pakistan, handcuffing six crew
members and injuring two, a spokesman for the shipping line said
on Wednesday.

The SEALS -- an elite Navy special forces group -- along with
U.S. Marines who boarded later, were apparently scouring the ship
for terrorists and illegal weapons but failed to turn up
anything, the spokesman said.

Early last Thursday the U.S. forces approached in small craft
and boarded the Panama-registered ship Kota Sejarah, chartered by
Singapore-based Pacific International Lines or PIL, a PIL
spokesman said.

Six crew members were handcuffed with plastic bands and forced
to lie face-down on the deck for about 30 minutes, said the
spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity. --AP