US Navy reports robbery of 4 commercial ships near Iraq’s southern oil hub of Basra

US Navy says 4 ships robbed off Iraqi coast

BAGHDAD — The U.S. Navy says four commercial ships anchored near the southern oil hub of Basra have been robbed in a rare attack off the Iraqi coast.

Lt. John Fage, a spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, said Sunday that two men armed with AK-47 rifles boarded the American ship Sagamore a week ago.

He says the assailants took computers, cell phones and money from crew members before fleeing the vessel after about 40 minutes on board.

He says three other ships were attacked in a two-hour period starting about 2 a.m. on Aug. 8. Fage identified those ships as the Antigua-flagged Armenia, the North Korean Crystal Wave and the Syrian Sana Star.

The attack reflects concerns about an increase in crime in Iraq even as political violence ebbs.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. Navy says four commercial ships anchored near the southern oil hub of Basra have been robbed in a rare attack off the Iraqi coast.

Lt. John Fage, a spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, said Sunday that two men armed with AK-47 rifles boarded the American ship Sagamore a week ago.

He says the assailants took computers, cell phones and money from crew members before fleeing the vessel after about 40 minutes on board.

He says three other ships were attacked in a two-hour period starting about 2 a.m. on Aug. 8. Fage identified those ships as the Antigua-flagged Armenia, the North Korean Crystal Wave and the Syrian Sana Star.

The attack reflects concerns about an increase in crime in Iraq even as political violence ebbs.