Somali pirates demand $20 million ransom

September 29, 2008

MOGADISHU, Somalia As a heavily armed U.S. destroyer patrolled nearby and planes flew overhead yesterday, a Somali pirate spokesman told the Associated Press that his group was demanding a $20 million ransom to release a cargo ship loaded with Russian tanks. A man who said he was the ship's captain also reported that one crew member had died. Pirates seized the Ukrainian-operated ship Faina off the coast of Somalia on Thursday as it headed to Kenya carrying 33 Russian-built T-72 tanks and a substantial amount of ammunition and spare parts. A spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet said the Navy remained "deeply concerned" over the fate of the ship's 21-member crew and cargo.

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Somali pirates demand $20 million ransom

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