Somali pirates plead guilty in US

Jean and Scott Adam were shot to death, along with two passengers Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay

Three Somali men have pleaded guilty in US federal court to piracy charges for their role in a hijacking that ended in the deaths of four American sailors.

They face life sentences, but could receive lighter terms and eventually be deported to Somalia.

Two of them also pleaded guilty to hostage taking at the Virginia court.

The men are among 15 who have been charged for their roles in the February hijacking of the Quest. The yacht’s owners and two guests were shot dead.

The group of pirates were negotiating with the US military to release the Americans – Scott and Jean Adam, and Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay – when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired from the yacht at the guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett.

Gunfire then broke out inside the yacht, and US special forces were sent to investigate. The pirates killed their hostages before the troops boarded, the US military said.

The troops shot dead two pirates as they boarded and another two were found dead when they arrived, it added.

At least three of the accused killed the hostages without provocation, prosecutors allege.

Mohamud Salad Ali, Mohamud Hirs Issa Ali and Ali Abdi Mohamed, who pleaded guilty on Friday, stated in their plea agreements that they played no direct role in the killings.

Several others charged in the case have plea hearings next week.

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