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Somali tanker pirates 'want $25m' Crisis meeting over Somali piracy
(about 2 hours later)
Pirates who hijacked a Saudi oil tanker off the Somali coast are reported to have demanded a $25m (£17m) ransom. A spate of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia has prompted an emergency meeting between nations bordering the Red Sea to deal with the problem.
The AFP news agency, quoting one of the pirates, says the owners have been set a 10-day deadline to hand over the sum. Senior officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen are meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
The Sirius Star is the biggest tanker ever hijacked, carrying a cargo of two million barrels of Saudi oil - worth more than $100m. It comes amid claims that pirates who hijacked a Saudi oil tanker on Saturday are demanding a $25m (£17m) ransom.
The ship's operators, Vela International, have told the BBC that they cannot comment on the reports. However, a spokesman for the tanker's owners has cast doubt on the demands, which were reported by AFP news agency.
On Wednesday, Saudi officials confirmed that the ship's owners were in talks with the pirates. The Sirius Star, the biggest tanker ever hijacked, is carrying a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m.
AFP named the pirate it had spoken to as Mohamed Said. It is now anchored off the Somali coast with around 25 crew members being held as hostages.
"We do not want long-term discussions to resolve the matter," he was quoted as saying. Payments for hostage-taking are only an encouragement to further hostage-taking UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband
The Saudis have 10 days to comply, otherwise we will take action that could be disastrous," he added, without elaborating. A pirate on board the vessel calling himself Mohamed Said told AFP that the owners, Vela International, had been set a 10-day deadline to hand over the ransom.
Pirates 'sophisticated' "The Saudis have 10 days to comply, otherwise we will take action that could be disastrous," he said, without elaborating.
The 25 captive crew on the Sirius Star include two British citizens, two Poles, one Croatian, one Saudi national and 19 Filipinos. A spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry, Hossam Zaki, was quoted by Egypt's official Mena news agency as saying that "all options are open" in trying to solve the crisis.
The pirates who seized the tanker on Saturday are a sophisticated group with contacts in Dubai and neighbouring countries, says the BBC Somali Service's Yusuf Garaad. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minsiter confirmed that the ship's owners were negotiating with the pirates.
'Fundamental problem'
The 25 captive crew on the Sirius Star include 19 Filipinos, two British citizens, two Poles, one Croatian, and one Saudi national.
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he could not comment on negotiations.
However, he did say: "There is a strong view of the British government, and actually the international community, that payments for hostage-taking are only an encouragement to further hostage-taking and we will be approaching this issue in a very delicate way, in a way that puts the security and safety of the hostages to the fore."
With Britain's Royal Navy co-ordinating the European response to the incident, Mr Miliband said: "There is a fundamental problem in the Gulf of Aden. That is why the deployment of the European force is the right thing to do."
Pirates 'working with Islamists'IMB piracy map The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
The pirates who seized the tanker on Saturday are a sophisticated group with contacts in Dubai and neighbouring countries, says BBC Somali Service editor Yusuf Garaad.
Much of their ransom money from previous hijackings has been used to buy new boats and weapons as well as develop a network across the Horn of Africa, he adds.Much of their ransom money from previous hijackings has been used to buy new boats and weapons as well as develop a network across the Horn of Africa, he adds.
class="" href="/1/hi/world/7737375.stm">Pirates 'working with Islamists' Russia has announced it is to send more warships to the region to counter the pirates.
Russia has announced it is to send more warships to the region to patrol against pirates. Earlier this month, one of its destroyers, the Neustrashimy, scared away pirates who were trying to hijack ships in the Gulf of Aden.
Earlier this month, one of its destroyers, the Neustrashimy (Fearless), scared away pirates who were trying to hijack ships in the Gulf of Aden.
"After the Neustrashimy, ships from other fleets of the Russian navy will head to the region," Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky said."After the Neustrashimy, ships from other fleets of the Russian navy will head to the region," Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky said.
There has been a surge in piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia during 2008. There has been a surge in piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia this year.
On Tuesday, a cargo ship and a fishing vessel became the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates this year. On Tuesday, a cargo ship and a fishing vessel became the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates since January.
In a rare victory against the organised gangs, the Indian navy said it had sunk a suspected pirate "mother ship". In a rare victory against the organised gangs, the Indian navy said it had sunk a suspected pirate "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden, several hundred kilometres north of the location where the hijackers boarded the Sirius Star.
INS Tabar attacked what was believed to be a Somali pirate "mother ship" on Tuesday after it failed to stop for investigation and instead opened fire in the Gulf of Aden, an Indian navy statement said. INS Tabar attacked the vessel on Tuesday after it failed to stop for an inspection and opened fire, the Indian navy statement said in a statement.
The UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, described piracy as "a scourge wherever it appears anywhere in the world and at the moment the scourge is focused in the Gulf of Aden". Shipping companies are now said to be weighing up the risks of using the short-cut route to and from Europe via the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal.
He said the Royal Navy was co-ordinating the European response to the incident.
Shipping companies are now weighing up the risks of using the short-cut route to Europe via the Gulf of Aden and Suez canal.
However, travelling around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope would add several weeks to average journey times and substantially increase the cost of goods for consumers.However, travelling around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope would add several weeks to average journey times and substantially increase the cost of goods for consumers.