Somali pirates killed in shootout
Updated on 30 September 2008
Three of the Somali pirates who hijacked a ship with 33 tanks onboard have been killed in an shootout among the rival factions.
The group of around 50 pirates seized the Ukrainian ship MV Faina six days ago and have demanded £11 million in ransom.
US navy ships are shadowing the boat, whose capture has sparked controversy over the destination of its cargo.
Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, said factions among the pirates on board had argued over whether to free the cargo and 20-man crew.
"The radicals on board do not want to listen to anyone," said Mr Mwangura, whose Kenya-based group is monitoring the saga via relatives of the crew and the pirates.
"The moderates want to back-peddle. The Americans are close, so everyone is tense. There was a shootout and three of the pirates were shot dead."
The US navy has said the ship, which was heading for Kenya's Mombasa port, was carrying T-72 tanks, grenade-launchers and ammunition ultimately bound for south Sudan via Kenya.
Such a shipment could violate the terms of a north-south peace pact in Sudan unless specifically authorised by both sides who signed a 2005 truce after more than two decades of war.
Kenya says the armoury was for its military.
The incident has also thrown a spotlight on what has become rampant piracy in one of the world's busiest shipping areas that connect Europe to Asia and the Middle East.
Taking advantage of chaos on shore, where an Islamic-led insurgency has raged for nearly two years, Somali pirates have seized more than 30 ships this year and attacked many more.
Most attacks have been in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and north Somalia, a major global sea artery used by about 20,000 vessels a year heading to and from Suez, including Gulf oil shipments.
The pirates have also struck in the busy Indian Ocean waters off south Somalia.
© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
