Pirates demand $1.7m ransom for ship

Nairobi, Kenya, July 22 - PIRATES have demanded a $US1.5 million ($1.71 million) ransom for the release of a Danish freighter and its crew held off the coast of Somalia, officials said today.

The Danica White, with five crew members, was hijacked on June 2, about 240 nautical miles off the Somali coast while heading to Kenya's Mombasa port.

"We were informed yesterday that the pirates are demanding $US1.5 million in order to release the vessel," said Kenyan official Andrew Mwangura.

Three other vessels – one from Taiwan and two from South Korea – are also currently held by pirates off the coast of war-torn Somalia and a Panama-flagged cargo vessel was recently reported to have gone missing in Somali waters.

The International Maritime Bureau said this year had seen at least seven pirate attacks off Somalia's 3700km of unpatrolled coastline.

Pirate attacks have increased since late 2006, when ruling Islamists were ousted by Ethiopian and Somali troops.

Lying in a strategic position at the mouth of the Red Sea, Somalia has been without an effective government since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.

Source: www.news.com.au