U.S. naval forces said they had captured five pirates after exchanging fire with them near Seychelles, media reported on Thursday.

The report said, the U.S. vessel was under fire early Thursday in a place west of the Seychelles, adding that five captured pirates would remain in U.S. custody.

No further details was available so far.

Piracy has become rampant off the coast of Africa, especially in the waters near Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991.

Ransoms started out in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions.

The Horn of Africa nation is at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden, which leads to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, one of the world's most important shipping channels.