Nigerian Navy Kills 6 Pirates, Injures 1

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — An official says Nigeria's navy killed six pirates and injured one in an attack against the outlaws expanding their territory in the Gulf of Guinea.

Delta state navy spokesman, Lt. Delightsome Yohana, said Wednesday that pirates engaged the navy in a gun battle late Sunday off the coast of Calabar in Nigerian and Cameroonian waters. He says Nigeria's navy fired back, killing the pirates. The wounded attacker is in custody.

The operation is the latest in a string of victories for Nigeria's navy. Yohana said in the last two weeks the navy has killed 18 pirates and arrested five.

The International Maritime Bureau, which monitors piracy, says the Gulf of Guinea has overtaken Somalia as the new hotspot, while piracy is down in the rest of the world.

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