Pentagon: al Qaeda suspects detained at sea

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- For the second time in a week, suspected al Qaeda members have been detained at sea after coalition warships stopped the boats carrying them, Pentagon officials said Thursday.

In the latest incident, a French warship Wednesday night stopped a fast boat moving through the North Arabian Sea and detained two suspected al Qaeda members.

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They were transferred to the brig on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington for holding and initial questioning. Their identities are not known.

The incident followed another Saturday in the same region, when a Canadian warship stopped a boat and detained two men. Those men have been questioned and will continue to be detained because officials believe they are both al Qaeda members, officials have said.

Since September, coalition warships have boarded more than 180 ships and questioned operators of more than 15,000 vessels as part of an effort to ensure they are not carrying fleeing al Qaeda members. It was not until this week, however, that anyone was detained.

One source suggested the recent success has come about through improved intelligence. The waters of the North Arabian Sea are prime areas for smugglers and pirates who may agree to carry contraband cargo and al Qaeda members for a price.