Islamic militants join hunt for pirates in Somalia

[Alamuti Lotus]

Source: International Herald Tribune

MOGADISHU, Somalia: Dozens of Islamic militants stormed the Somali port of Haradheere on Friday hunting the pirates behind the seizure of a Saudi supertanker on Saturday, a local elder said.

Separately, the police in the capital, Mogadishu, said they had ambushed and killed 17 Islamist militants, in an illustration of the chaos in the country that has fueled a dramatic surge in piracy.

The Sirius Star - a Saudi vessel with a cargo of oil worth $100 million and a 25-man crew from the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, Poland and Britain - is believed to be anchored offshore near Haradheere, about halfway up Somalia's long coastline.

The elder in Haradheere said the Islamists had arrived wanting to find out immediately about the Sirius Star, which was captured Saturday about 770 kilometers, or 480 miles, off Somalia.

"The Islamists arrived searching for the pirates and the whereabouts of the Saudi ship," said the elder, who declined to be identified. "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."

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/21/africa/somalia.php

[jeepnstein]

1. Well, that's a positive develpment.

[msongs]

2. they are only interested in helping if its a muslim ship - as if ships had religion nt

[ohio2007]

3. ...and what is Iran ?

As I said on another thread; some are more equal then others in the "Land of the profit"