ROME, April 16: A Dutch and two US warships were sailing toward the Yemeni coast on Sunday to aid a US-flagged sailboat under attack by pirates, the Italian port authority said.

The sailboat, identified as the Tir Na Nog, with three people aboard, was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, about 80 kilometres off the Yemeni coast, said Massimo Maccheroni, spokesman for the Italian port authority.

He said Italian officials alerted US and Yemeni authorities after being contacted by an Italian ship, the Jolly Platino, which was in the area.

No further details were immediately available.

Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown with the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain said officials were “looking into” the reports.—AP