Islamists raid port in hunt for pirates

Somali Islamist insurgents have stormed a port to hunt for pirates who seized a Saudi tanker, it was reported yesterday. The Sirius Star, which has a $100m (£68m) oil cargo and a 25-man crew that includes two Britons, is believed to be anchored off Haradheere, half-way along the Somali coastline.

A tribal elder, who declined to be named, said the Islamists arrived at the port seeking information about the ship, which was captured on Saturday 450 nautical miles off Kenya. "I saw four cars full of Islamists driving in the town from corner to corner," he said. "The Islamists say they will attack the pirates for hijacking a Muslim ship."

Sheikh Abdirahim Isse Adow, an Islamist spokesman, said: "Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country and hijacking its ship is a bigger crime than other ships. Haradheere is under our control and we shall do something about that ship."

The US Navy and the Dubai-based shipping company, Vela International, said they could not confirm reports that the hijackers demanded a $25m ransom, which would be the biggest to date sought by pirates who prey on boats in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

A pirate calling himself Jamii Adam told the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that talks with the Sirius Star's owners were under way. The ransom was not excessive but he declined to name a figure. It had cost the pirates $500,000 to seize the ship, he said, adding: "We bore many costs to hijack it."

Iran's biggest shipping company said gunmen who had been holding a separate, Hong Kong-flagged ship since Tuesday had set demands for its release, but did not reveal the terms. The ship is carrying wheat and 25 crew.

An upsurge of attacks this year has forced up insurance costs, made some firms sail around South Africa instead of via the Suez Canal, brought millions in ransom payments and prompted an international naval response.

Islamist leaders deny colluding with the pirates and say they will stamp down on them if they win power, citing a crackdown when they briefly ruled southern Somalia in 2006. The Islamists have been fighting the government and its Ethiopian allies for two years. They launch near-daily guerrilla strikes in the capital.

Some analysts say Islamist militants are benefiting from the spoils of piracy and arms shipments facilitated by sea gangs. They also accuse government figures of collaborating with pirates.

In Mogadishu yesterday, police shot dead 17 fighters from the militant al Shabaab insurgent group, who had been planning to attack an official.

Somalis are traditionally moderate Muslims and analysts say al Shabaab – which the US has listed as a terrorist organisation with links to al-Qa'ida – does not have deep popular support, despite having the upper hand militarily. Somalia has been without an effective government since warlords toppled a military dictator in 1991.

The capture of the Sirius Star has caused panic around the world, with rampant piracy threatening to become a further drag on trade at a time of global economic downturn.

The Somali President, Abdullahi Yusuf, said Somalis could only blame themselves for their circumstances. "No one attacked us and forced us into this condition. It is as a result of our actions that we destroyed our nationhood," he added. "The freedom and the unity of the Somali people is on the edge of falling." reuters