Somali Pirates Vow Revenge on US

A Somali pirate chief has vowed to target Americans in revenge for the death of three pirates killed during a US raid to free an American hostage held by the pirates.

Abdi Garad said on Monday that the US forces had shot and killed the men, even after they had agreed to free the hostage.

"They were pointing the AK-47s at the captain," Vice Admiral William Gortney, head of the US naval central command, said in a Pentagon briefing from Bahrain.

"The on-scene commander took it as the captain was in imminent danger and then made that decision and he had the authorities to make that decision and he had seconds to make that decision," he said.

Abdulkadir Walayo, a Somali government spokesman, hailed the operation.

"I hope this operation will be a lesson for other pirates holding the hostages on the ships they hijacked," he said.