Havana ? Cuban security forces waiting in the waters of Mariel port rescued hostages jumping from a ferry boat as other troops stormed the vessel and arrested the captors, the government said Friday.

The nearly 50 hostages were uninjured, according to a government statement read on state television. The hijackers were taken by boat to an undisclosed location and their identities were not released.

“All of those who were on the boat were safely rescued without a shot or even a scratch,” the government said.

Cubans watch as a hijacked ferry is being towed in Havana, Cuba. Cuban security forces arrested the people who hijacked a passenger ferry in a bid to get to the United States and rescued the nearly 50 hostages held on board, the government said Friday.

The drama began Wednesday when a group of hijackers, armed with knives and pistols, commandeered the ferry Baragua in Havana Bay and demanded that it sail to the United States. Cuban authorities chased the boat some 30 miles into international waters, where FBI negotiators flew to a nearby U.S. Coast Guard cutter to offer help to the Cubans.

Apparently lacking enough fuel for the U.S. journey, the ferry then turned around and headed back to Cuban waters off Mariel.

The hijackers demanded fuel for the ferry and threatened to harm passengers, the government said.

The rescue operation began Thursday afternoon, the government communique said.

The government said a special forces soldier on the dock persuaded a female hostage to jump overboard and she was quickly rescued.

The special forces team then moved in to arrest the hijackers and secure the ferry as hostages took cues from the officers and started jumping overboard, the statement said.

Military divers rescued the jumping passengers while other troops took control of the vessel, the government said. The hijackers also jumped overboard but were captured.