14 Aug 2009
Crew members of an Egyptian ship have attacked their Somali captors, killing two of them and arresting several others.

The nearly forty crew members and their two fishing ships had been held captive off the northern coast of war-torn Somalia since last May by pirates who demanded ransom for their release.

Last Wednesday, the pirates refused to accept nearly USD 200,000 offered by local businessmen for the release of the hostages and their ships, a report said on Friday.

According to a commander of another pirate group, in the northeastern autonomous region of Puntland, who demanded anonymity, the pirates were attacked with machetes and metal bars.

He added that several pirates are thought to have been 'taken hostage' by the crew who are now reportedly sailing towards a Yemeni port.

Piracy in the region has decreased considerably since the deployment of foreign naval forces late last year. A few abducted vessels still remain in pirates' hands as many former pirates have denounced the activity.
presstv