"There's an international focus on this and rightfully so we'll continue to pursue it," said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff during a visit to Djibouti, home to the only US military base in Africa.

On Monday, the US military said Somali pirates killed four Americans on a yatch they had captured last week. The four had been sailing from India when they were seized.

The pirates have become more sophisticated and prowl the vast Indian Ocean to distance of up to 1,500 nautical miles from the war-torn Horn of Africa state.

Mullen said the more than 30 warships involved in the anti-piracy drive underscored the "significance of the challenge (of piracy) and also the priority in terms of focus."

Despite the presence of the foreign navies, Somali pirates have continued to hijack vessels, and last year they seized 53 ships and took 1,181 seamen hostage, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Mullen said hunting down the sea bandits in such vast waters was like seaching for a "needle in a haystack."

The small Red Sea state of Djibouti also hosts a French military base. It also serves as a launching base for US drone attacks against Al Qaeda according to security information website Globalsecurity.org.

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