At Least Six Killed in Pirates - Islamists Clash in Central Somalia

Heavily armed Islamist fighters swooped in on Somali pirates late on Friday after they freed a Jordanian ship with 12 crew on board, killing four of the pirates; and two of the Islamists were also killed in the attack, regional officials said on Saturday.

The pirates had seized the MV Victoria a week ago as it was heading to offload a business cargo of 4,200 tonnes of sugar at Mogadishu’s main port.

Somali traders, who owned the cargo, did not confirm that a ransom was paid before Fridays’ release, saying only that there had been negotiations between representatives from both the pirates and the Somali traders.

Abdi Khalif Ahmed, chairman of Haradhere port local authority in central Somalia, said the pirates released the ship and after they arrived in Hobyo, immediately after which they came under heavy attack by Islamic fighters.

Kheyre Mohamed Mohamed, spokesman of the Islamic Courts Union said at least four pirates and two of his fighters were killed in the attack, adding that they also arrested several of the pirates in the operation.

“We had vowed to fight with the pirates because they have been posing a threat to the ships carrying business and humanitarian cargoes to our people and that is why we attacked them;” he said, adding that “from now on, no one involved in piracy will go unpunished.”

A resident of Hobyo town said the Islamists with vehicles mounted with machine guns came to the town earlier on Friday and told the local residents that they were in a special operation, asking the people to be calm.

Source African Press Agency

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