Mass. Maritime grad on attacked U.S. ship

NAIROBI, Kenya -- The EU's anti-piracy force says Somali pirates have again attacked the Maersk Alabama, the U.S.-flagged ship hijacked last spring. And again, a Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduate was involved.

The EU Naval Force says pirates fired automatic weapons at the ship, but guards on board the craft fired back and thwarted Tuesday's attack.

A spokesman for MMA says the current captain is Paul Rochford of Barrington, R.I., a member of the Class of 1979.

The vessel was previously hijacked in April. Pirates took American ship Capt. Richard Phillips of Vermont hostage and held him at gunpoint in a lifeboat for five days. Shane Murphy of Seekonk, Mass. was also on board at that time.

Navy SEAL sharpshooters freed Phillips while killing three pirates in a daring nighttime attack.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)