The spokesperson for the Department of State, Marie Harf, confirmed Thursday the kidnapping of two Americans during an act of piracy which took place off the coast of Nigeria.
Quoted by news agency EFE during a press conference, the spokesperson said that so far the U.S. government continues to gather information regarding the status of the two victims on board of the "C-Retriever" ship belonging to the Edison Chouest company.
News agency Reuters reported that the "C-Retriever' oil tanker was attacked during the first hours of Wednesday off the coast of Nigeria, the captain of the ship and the chief engineer, both American, were kidnapped, which prompted a rescue operation including the Nigerian armed forces.
"We believe that this was an act of piracy (...) So far, we have no information to indicate this was terrorism (...) Obviously, our worry right now is the safe return of the two American citizens", Harf said.
The United States announced that the Department of Defense, the Department of State and the FBI are monitoring the rescue operation, reporting that the United States Marine Corps are present in meetings with Nigerian officials to guarantee the safety of the victims.
In an interview with Reuters, the spokesman for the Nigerian Navy, Kabiru Aliy, said that they are aware of the incident, and are currently making a decision, adding that Naval Central Command is leading the operation.
The White House expressed its worry over the increasing number of piracy acts on the coast of Western Africa, which puts American ships at risk. In a press conference, Blanca Jay Carney, spokesperson for the White House, said that President Obama's administration is working with local authorities to strengthen patrols in the region and deter acts of piracy.
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