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Pirates fired upon Oceania ship
Shots fired as pirates attack Oceania cruise ship
 Pirates in the Gulf of Aden fired shots today at a cruise ship full of hundreds of vacationers in a brazen daylight attack that ultimately was repulsed.
The 30,000-ton Oceania Nautica, an 11-deck vessel that holds more than 1,000 passengers and crew, was transiting an internationally-patrolled part of the Gulf of Aden when the incident occurred.
In a statement sent to USA TODAY, the line says the attackers approached the Nautica on two small skiffs today at about 9:28 a.m. local time -- or 12:25 a.m. ET.
Oceania says an officer on deck spotted the skiffs approaching and quickly deemed them hostile. The Nautica's captain then immediately ordered the ship to full speed and was able to out run the approaching vessels, the line says.
"One of the skiffs did manage to close the range to approximately 300 yards and fired eight rifle shots in the direction of the vessel before trailing off," the line says in the statement.
No one aboard the Nautica was harmed, and the ship is undamaged.
"All requisite international authorities have been notified," the line says. "All anti-piracy precautions were in place prior to the event and all necessary measures were taken during the event."
Photo courtesy Oceania Cruises
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