World

Spain says pirates have attacked a Spanish navy warship off Somalia, drawing gunfire that reportedly left one dead and prompted a helicopter chase in which six attackers were arrested.

A Defense Ministry official says the assailants may have mistaken the 165-meter (540-foot) ship Patiño for a freighter in the attack before dawn Thursday.

The Patiño is part of an European Union flotilla fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean.

The ministry said in a statement that the detainees had confirmed a colleague was killed, and his body thrown overboard.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department rules.