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Warship destroys boat, captures 14 pirates
 A warship off Somali waters captured 14 pirates, whose captives include two Pakistani crew of an Iranian ship. "About 14 pirates came across a warship that we think could be American and all the pirates on board were captured and their boat destroyed," said Abdulqadir Muse Yusuf, the fisheries minister for the Puntland semi-autonomous region, said on Sunday. "We are still investigating the identity of the warship." A man who said he was the pirates' servant told Reuters on Sunday that the Iranian ship with 28 crew members including two Russians, two Pakistanis and a Syrian would soon be freed once the $2 million ransom agreed upon was paid. "The bargaining about the ransom is over and pirates are just waiting for the money," Abdinur Farah told Reuters from the deck of a seized Iranian ship. Two French nationals were seized in their yacht in the perilous waters on Tuesday and the French navy has said it is ready to try to free them, although their safety came first. "The French tourists, whose boat was also hijacked, are now held inside the hilly areas of Habo village. They are safe and healthy," Farah said. Posted by: Fred 2008-09-08 |
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