Pirates threaten to murder hostages
Source: Agencies |
March 12, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
PIRATES moved a captive Danish family onto a ship off the Somali coast yesterday and threatened to kill them if further attempts were made to free them.
The developments follow a botched rescue attempt by forces from Somalia's semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland on Thursday evening. Five soldiers were killed in the attempt to rescue the Danish couple, their three children and two Danish crew members.
"We have moved the hostages onto a ship our friends are holding for security reasons," said a pirate who gave his name as 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."
Abdullahi said they were only looking for "ransom" but those attacking them want the "hostages' deaths."
The Thursday raid by Puntland security turned deadly after the would-be rescuers walked into an ambush. Armed forces tried to surround the village of Hul Anod to free the family but were beaten back.
Frans Barnard, an independent security consultant who was himself kidnapped and held briefly in Somalia last year, said the pirates holding the Danish family are not as experienced as some older pirate gangs, a fact that could increase the danger the family finds itself in.
Bernard said the risks associated with the Thursday rescue attempt by the Puntland forces were "phenomenal."
He said that the decision to move the family onto the ship rather than taking them further inland could mean that the pirates had weighed the risks and decided that the Puntland authorities were more dangerous than the threat of a rescue at sea by the international community.
The Johansens, their three children and two crew members were kidnapped two weeks ago after pirates seized their 13-meter sailboat.
The developments follow a botched rescue attempt by forces from Somalia's semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland on Thursday evening. Five soldiers were killed in the attempt to rescue the Danish couple, their three children and two Danish crew members.
"We have moved the hostages onto a ship our friends are holding for security reasons," said a pirate who gave his name as 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."
Abdullahi said they were only looking for "ransom" but those attacking them want the "hostages' deaths."
The Thursday raid by Puntland security turned deadly after the would-be rescuers walked into an ambush. Armed forces tried to surround the village of Hul Anod to free the family but were beaten back.
Frans Barnard, an independent security consultant who was himself kidnapped and held briefly in Somalia last year, said the pirates holding the Danish family are not as experienced as some older pirate gangs, a fact that could increase the danger the family finds itself in.
Bernard said the risks associated with the Thursday rescue attempt by the Puntland forces were "phenomenal."
He said that the decision to move the family onto the ship rather than taking them further inland could mean that the pirates had weighed the risks and decided that the Puntland authorities were more dangerous than the threat of a rescue at sea by the international community.
The Johansens, their three children and two crew members were kidnapped two weeks ago after pirates seized their 13-meter sailboat.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
