▁and ▁an ▁am mun ition ▁magazine ▁were ▁retrieved , ▁along ▁with ▁three ▁small ▁iron ▁l add ers ▁for ▁board ing ▁and ▁various ▁tools , ▁including ▁a ▁sc rew driver , ▁a ▁sp anner , ▁and ▁several ▁fish ing ▁kn ives . ▁As ▁the ▁pir ates ▁had ▁only ▁six ▁A K - 4 7 ▁rif les ▁in ▁total ▁and ▁three ▁of ▁them ▁had ▁now ▁been ▁conf isc ated , ▁they ▁had ▁lost ▁half ▁of ▁their ▁fire ar ms ▁and ▁about ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁their ▁personnel . ▁ ▁After ▁this ▁eng agement , ▁the ▁South ▁Korean ▁military ▁decided ▁to ▁initi ate ▁a ▁board ing ▁operation , ▁as ▁intelligence ▁reports ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁remaining ▁capt ors ▁were ▁exha usted ▁and ▁that ▁additional ▁pir ates ▁were ▁being ▁dispatch ed ▁from ▁Som alia ▁to ▁rein force ▁them . ▁ ▁January ▁ 2 1 ▁The ▁board ing ▁of ▁Sam ho ▁Jew el ry ▁began ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 1 ▁at ▁ 0 4 : 5 8 ▁local ▁time ▁and ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁about ▁ ▁from ▁Som alia ' s ▁coast . ▁While ▁Navy ▁command os ▁used ▁three ▁fast ▁boats ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁tank er , ▁the ▁hel ic opter ▁from ▁Ch oi ▁Young ▁fired ▁warning ▁sh ots ▁at ▁the ▁tank er . ▁Once ▁the ▁command os ▁board ed ▁the ▁ship , ▁the ▁pir ates , ▁armed ▁with ▁A K - 4 7 ▁assault ▁rif les ▁and ▁ro cket - prop elled ▁gr en ades , ▁initi ated ▁a ▁fire f ight ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁eight ▁pir ates ▁killed ▁and