By Armando Duke

(AXcess News) Houston - U.S. Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force recaptured the Magellan Star from Somali pirates who had seized the cargo ship on Wednesday.

The pre-dawn raid on the Magellan Star in the Gulf of Aden marked the first time a U.S. military force had boarded a ship seized by pirates.  Twenty four Marines conducted the exercise with no shots being fired, a U.S. military official said.

The German-owned vessel had been seized by Somali pirates on September 8th.  All eleven crewmembers on board the Magellan Star were safe.

While two helicopters hoovered overhead in the raid, flooding the deck with lights, two inflatable boats with 12 Marines in each pulled up alongside the Magellan Star and climbed rope ladders onto the German freighter, which was carrying a cargo of steel chain.  Not a shot was fired, the spokesperson said.

The Somali pirates captured were being held on board one of the American ships involved in the rescue.  No word on their fate has been released.

The fact that the U.S. military is now becoming more involved in recapturing ships seized by pirates may deter others from conducting acts of piracy in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.  So far this year, 30 ships had been seized by pirates, despite an international presence of military ships in the area.