After unloading food aid at Port Sudan, she was proceeding to Mombasa with humanitarian aid, when she was attacked by pirates armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. After successfully avoiding being boarded, she was assisted by . The French frigate Nivôse captured 11 of the pirates who had attacked "Liberty Sun". The "Bainbridge" had on board Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama hijacking, shortly after he had been freed in an operation which left three pirates dead and one captured. One of the pirates, Abdi Garad, told AFP news agency that they had intended to destroy the ship and its crew. "The aim of this attack was totally different. We were not after a ransom. We also assigned a team with special equipment to chase and destroy any ship flying the American flag in retaliation for the brutal killing of our friends."