National Post

U.S. commandos free two hostages, kill pirate captors in rare Somalia raid
U.S. special forces swooped into Somalia on Wednesday and rescued an American and a Dane after a shootout with pirates holding them hostage, in a rare raid into the Horn of Africa nation to free foreign captives.

The aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, were kidnapped from the town of Galkayo in the semi-autonomous Galmudug region in October while working for the Danish De-mining Group (DDG).

“This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement.

Photo: Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) team members practicing fast roping from a SH-60B Seahawk helicopter during a training exercise. (US NAVY/AFP/Getty Images)