The pirates are numerous, and although their combat effectiveness is not strong, they are the mainstay of Gazaley's defenses. Deal with the pirates, and this battle is basically won.
Gao Yang decided to carry out a decapitation operation, but not to kill all the pirate leaders in one fell swoop; capturing them alive was preferable if possible.
There were four forces in Gazaley: the British, the Somali Youth Party, and two other pirate groups. Eddie's men numbered just over five hundred, the weakest among the four forces, so it was not surprising that he surrendered first. Among the remaining three forces, the British would never surrender, and the Somali Youth Party's surrender was also unacceptable, leaving the target of the decapitation operation to be the leaders of the remaining pirate group.
According to intelligence provided by Eddie, their target was named Musa Moye, originally one of the biggest pirate chiefs on the east portion of Somalia's North Coast, and very powerful.