Somali pirates vow to resist assault on supertanker

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA - Nov 22 2008 09:24

Somali pirates holding an oil-laden Saudi supertanker will fight back should any military intervention to free the ship be attempted, a member of the pirate group said on Saturday.

"I hope the owner of the tanker is wise enough and won't allow any military option because that would be disastrous for everybody. We are here to defend the tanker if attacked," Abdiyare Moalim said.

Speaking from the coastal village and pirate stronghold of Haradhere, off which the Sirius Star is anchored, he said he was one of the pirates on shore tasked with organising militias protecting the area.

Negotiations continue with the owners of the supertanker, who on Thursday were given 10 days to pay a ransom of $25-million.

A local fisherman told Agence France-Presse that reinforcements of at least 10 well-armed men had joined the pirates holding the ship and its 25-strong crew.

"Early this morning [Saturday], I saw at least 10 heavily armed pirates heading to the ship. Their boat returned after dropping them off," Hassan Ahmed said.

The member of the pirate group said the gunmen holding the Sirius Star and its 100-million of crude oil had no intention of destroying the vessel, the largest ever seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

"Their intention is clear, I was speaking to them some minutes ago and they told me they are not going to destroy the ship or harm the crew. They are hoping to get what they demanded," he said.

Haradhere is 300km north of lawless Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. -- AFP

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