Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Holiday Gift Guide
Gift ideas & reviews for this holiday season
Start Browsing
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Environment
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
You Witness
The Great Debate
Blogs
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
You Witness News
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Islamists on trail of Somali pirates
Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:14am EST
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Dozens of Somali Islamist insurgents entered a port on Friday in search of the pirate group behind the seizure of a Saudi supertanker that was the world's biggest hijack, a local elder said.
Separately, police in the capital Mogadishu said they ambushed and shot dead 17 Islamist militants, in the latest illustration of the chaos in the Horn of Africa country that has fueled a dramatic surge in piracy.
The Sirius Star -- a Saudi vessel with a $100 million oil cargo and 25-man crew from the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, Poland and Britain -- is believed anchored offshore near Haradheere, about half-way up Somalia's long coastline.
"Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country and hijacking its ship is a bigger crime than other ships," Sheikh Abdirahim Isse Adow, an Islamist spokesman, told Reuters. "Haradheere is under our control and we shall do something about that ship," he said.
Both the U.S. Navy and Dubai-based ship operator Vela International said they could not confirm media reports that the hijackers were demanding a $25 million ransom.
That would be the biggest demand to date by pirates who prey on boats in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off Somalia.
An upsurge of attacks this year has forced up shipping insurance costs, made some firms go round South Africa instead of via the Suez Canal, brought millions in ransom payments, and prompted an international naval response.
In Mogadishu, police said they laid in wait and shot dead 17 fighters from the militant al Shabaab insurgent group during an attempted attack on a senior official.
The Islamist rebels have been fighting the government and its Ethiopian military allies for about two years. They launch near-daily guerrilla strikes in the capital and control most of south Somalia, including a town just nine miles to the south of Mogadishu.
FRANCE, KENYA WORRIED
Islamist leaders deny allegations they collude with pirates and insist they will stamp down on them if they win power, citing a crackdown when they ruled the south briefly in 2006.
Some analysts, however, say Islamist militants are benefiting from the spoils of piracy and arms shipments facilitated by the sea gangs. Analysts also accuse government figures of collaboration with pirates.
The elder in Haradheere port told Reuters the Islamists arrived wanting to find out immediately about the Sirius Star, which was captured on Saturday about 450 nautical miles off Kenya in the pirates' furthest strike to date.
"The Islamists arrived searching for the pirates and the whereabouts of the Saudi ship," said the elder, who declined to be named. "I saw four cars full of Islamists driving in the town from corner to corner."
"The Islamists say they will attack the pirates for hijacking a Muslim ship," he said. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
My Web
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
Thousands protest in Iraq against U.S. troops pact
Also on Reuters
Video
Macau's luck on the wane
Autumn babies at greater risk of asthma: study
Slideshow
Life without a home
Video
Sailors prefer pirates to no job
Play Video
Tanker owners in ransom talks
More Video...
Related News
FACTBOX: Ships held by Somali pirates
19 Nov 2008
Somali Islamists hunt supertanker pirates
5:31am EST
India may deploy more warships to fight pirates
5:31am EST
Somali pirates wallow in cash, leave no bank trail
6:37am EST
Editor's Choice
Pictures
Video
Articles
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Walking house
APEC meets
Auto Show
Top News: Saudi women find refuge from violence
Business: Stealthy drones get smaller
Lifestyle: High-street shopping losing appeal
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Recommended
UPDATE 2-US clout down, risks up by 2025 -intel outlook
Government warns of "catastrophic" U.S. quake
Citigroup eyes options, including merger
UPDATE 3-Verizon staff had unauthorized access to Obama's cell
Obama on track to name Clinton as top diplomat
Verizon staff had unauthorized access to Obama's cell
CIA faulted in shooting down of missionary plane
Obama on track to name Clinton as top diplomat
Central bankers wary of deflation
Obese have right to 2 airline seats --Canada court
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Paulson on defense
Auto bailout still on hold
APEC leaders look beyond trade
Wall Street hits 6-year low
Asian shares hit 5-year low
Georgia, Russia stand accused
And Finally Bottoms Up!
NATO urges African lead on piracy
Previewing LA Auto Show
Obama cabinet taking shape
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
The Great Debate
Reinforcing what? The EU's role in Eastern Congo
The EU seems to lack the political will for military invention in eastern Congo. But it might still be a force for good if it can muster diplomatic unity and take on some practical short-term commitments in support of UN forces. Commentary
Reuters Deals
The global destination for corporate leaders, deal-makers and innovators
Knowledge to Act
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Interactive TV |
Labs |
Reuters in Second Life |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.