Somali Pirates Demand Ransom

The ship that was anchored yesterday off a town called Alula, was boarded by more armed men yesterday. The EU Naval Force said it had passed the information from its contact with the ship’s master to the oil tanker’s owners and an investigation was underway.

The Aris 13, manned by eight Sri Lankan sailors, was carrying fuel from Djibouti to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, when it was approached by men in two skiffs. The EU statement said the ship’s master issued a mayday alert.

The EU Naval Force said, that  the Somali pirates, who are armed, are demanding a ransom for the release of an oil tanker they seized off the coast of Somalia.

The Merchant Shipping Secretariat confirmed yesterday that 8 Sri Lankans were on board the ship. A Somali pirate who said he was in touch with the armed men aboard the tanker said the amount of ransom to demand had not yet been decided.