US Navy rescues Iranian Fishermen held hostage by pirates

The US Navy has rescued 13 Iranian fishermen being held by pirates in the Arabian Sea, the Pentagon says. The 13 were rescued on Thursday after a distress call was received from an Iranian fishing vessel which had been boarded by pirates over a month ago. Fifteen suspected pirates were detained and are being held by the US Navy. The Iranians had been kept in harsh conditions and are thought to have been forced to assist the pirates in their operations, according to the Pentagon. 'Kindness and respect' The freed hostages are now on their way back home, the US Navy said. The hostages "had been through a lot", said Navy Criminal Investigative Service agent Josh Schminky. "We went out of our way to treat the fishing crew with kindness and respect," he said. The captain of the Al Molai, a fishing dhow, "expressed his sincere gratitude that we came to assist them. He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months," he added. ########################### In other News: Beijing News reported on the completely dried up Xiangjiang River in the central city of Changsha, where residents have started to grow vegetables on the riverbed.