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