Two Western officials say that an American military helicopter raid into Somalia has freed an American and a Dane held hostage in Somalia.

The overnight raid by at least two U.S. helicopters resulted in a shootout with the pirate captors and the freeing of the two hostages. That is according to two Western officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The two hostages had been held in Somalia since October.

Read more: Sources: US Raid Frees American And Dane Held Hostage In Somalia | Fox News

We need to stop playing with these pirates and take a tougher stance.

U.S. military forces flew in helicopters under the cover of darkness on a raid into Somalia early Wednesday and freed an American and a Dane held hostage since October, Western officials said. Pirates reported a gun battle with several casualties.

The Danish Refugee Council confirmed that the two aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Dane Poul Hagan Thisted, were freed "during an operation in Somalia." Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, had been working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when they were kidnapped.

An official told The Associated Press that the raid was carried out by U.S. military forces. A second official said the helicopters and the hostages landed at a U.S. base in the tiny East African nation of Djibouti after the raid. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been released publicly.

Maj. Kelly Cahalan, a military spokeswoman at U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, said she had no information on the reported raid. A spokeswoman at the Pentagon had no immediate comment. U.S. military rescue operations are typically carried out by highly trained special forces.

The Danish Refugee Council said both freed hostages are unharmed "and at a safe location." The group said in a separate statement that the two "are on their way to be reunited with their families."

A pirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein said he had spoken to pirates at the scene of the raid and they reported that nine pirates had been killed. A second pirate who gave his name as Ahmed Hashi said two helicopters attacked at about 2 a.m. at the site where the hostages were being held about 12 miles north of the Somali town of Adado.

The Danish Refugee Council had earlier enlisted traditional Somali elders and members of civil society to seek the release of the two hostages. The two were seized in October from the portion of Galkayo town under the control of a government-allied clan militia. The aid agency has said that Somalis held demonstrations demanding the pair's quick release.

Their Somali colleague was detained by police on suspicion of being involved in their kidnapping.

The two hostages were working in northern Somalia for the Danish Demining Group, whose experts have been clearing mines and unexploded ordnance in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East.

Several hostages are still being held in Somalia, including a British tourist and two Spanish doctors seized from neighboring Kenya, and an American journalist kidnapped on Saturday.

Read more: Sources: US Raid Frees American And Dane Held Hostage In Somalia | Fox News

The military is having some great success along with this administration when it comes to these sort of thing. Gotta give credit where it's due.

Superb job by our men. We do have the best military in the world.

I really want to hear the clown car candidates talk about what an appeaser Obama is, and how indecisive he is now.

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People have said not to just dismiss the right as stupid, as it's polarizing and you won't get through to them that way, etc. But it's hard to imagine that someone with even average intelligence could be so lacking in self-awareness as they are.

Another win for Seal Team 6!

Congratulations to SEAL Team 6 and all involved in the operation. Missions such as this is a team effort, involving many different agencies and and individuals. I thank them all.

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It's amazing how they pull this off in the middle of a not so frendly nation with not ONE of our guys or hostages even so much as hurt. It just has me speechless how awesome these guys are!

From the news sites I am reading, early details said they jumped from a fixed wing aircraft and parachuted in, where they then hiked to the location through an open area covered with shrubs. Reports said nine men were in the open holding them hostage. The SEALs eliminated all nine. They were heavily armed and had explosives. Once the scene was secured and all bad guys were dead, combat helicopters picked them up where they headed for a nearby base.

These men are some of the best at what they do. Flawless mission.

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KILL THEM ALL!