Somali pirates threaten to kill Chinese crew

Tue Oct 20, 2009

Somali pirates have threatened to kill 25 Chinese crew members on board a hijacked Chinese bulk career if any rescue operation is attempted.

After a brief lull in attacks, the 'De Xin Hai', which the pirates say is loaded with coal, was seized on Monday 550 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles and 700 nautical miles east of the Horn of Africa.

"We tell China not to endanger the lives of their people with any rescue operation," an associate of the pirates told Reuters by phone on Tuesday.

"If they try then we will execute the whole crew ... we tell them to change their mind regarding any rescue, otherwise they will regret it. We know what they are planning to do," he warned.

The pirates were referring to an earlier announcement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu who had said his government had "actively started rescue operations" for the ship.

On Monday the European Union's counter-piracy force said an EU maritime patrol aircraft had located the vessel and counted at least four pirates on the deck. It was heading for Somalia.

Piracy along the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, is common place.

Dozens of multinational warships are currently patrolling the waters under a UN mandate to deter pirate attacks but the sea gangs sometimes carry out attacks right under the watchful eyes of international fleets.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/109142.html.