Pirates threaten to kill Danish family in Somalia

Pirates moved a captive Danish family on to a ship off the Somali coast yesterday and threatened to kill them if further attempts were made to free them.

The threats follow a botched rescue attempt on Thursday by forces from Somalia's semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland. Five soldiers died in the attempt to rescue the Danish couple, their three children and two Danish crewmen.

"We have moved the hostages on to a ship our friends are holding for security reasons," said a pirate called Hassan Abdullahi. "But our armed troops are on the shore to fight those trying to attack us. The hostages are healthy and safe now but suffering from homesickness."

Another pirate, going by the name of Bile Hussein, warned the hostages will be killed if there are more rescue attempts.