Once the ship was freed from the pirates, the American forces were given permission to board and assist the wounded crew and handle surviving pirates.[citation needed] 2007: Somalia: Battle of Ras Kamboni, On January 8, 2007, while the conflict between the Islamic Courts Union and the Transitional Federal Government continues, an AC-130 gunship conducts an aerial strike on a suspected al-Qaeda operative, along with other Islamist fighters, on Badmadow Island near Ras Kamboni in southern Somalia.[18]