Pirates from Somalia who hijacked a Chinese bulk carrier in the Indian Ocean have threatened to execute its 25 crew members if any rescue operation was attempted.
The De Xin Hai was carrying about 76,000 tonnes of coal from South Africa to India when it was seized by gunmen yesterday about 700 nautical miles east of the Horn of Africa.
"We tell China not to endanger the lives of their people with any rescue operation," Hassan, an associate of the gang, said by phone from the pirate stronghold Haradheere. "If they try that 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 said the pirates were planning to sail the captured ship to either Haradheere or Hobyo, both former fishing villages north of Mogadishu that have become pirate bases.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters earlier in Beijing that his government had "actively started rescue operations" for the ship, but declined to give details.
Observers said they expected a diplomatic resolution.
The European Union's counter-piracy force said an EU maritime patrol aircraft had located the vessel yesterday.
"The aircraft spotted at least four pirates on the deck and the vessel is towing two skiffs. It was last reported heading west towards the Somali coast," said John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU naval force in Brussels.
Despite a major deployment this year by foreign navies in the strategic shipping lanes linking Europe to Asia through the Suez Canal, pirate gangs have continued to terrorise the waters off Somalia, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.
Last Thursday, Somali gunmen captured a Singapore-owned container ship, the MV Kota Wajar , which had 21 crew on board.
Among others vessels, the pirates are also holding a Spanish fishing boat with 36 sailors that they hijacked on October 2nd. That gang says it will not negotiate their release until colleagues facing hijacking charges in Madrid are freed.
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