BERLIN, January 2 (RIA Novosti) - Pirates have
demanded a $6 million ransom for the release of the German gas
tanker Longchamp that was captured last Thursday in the Gulf of
Aden, German N-24 television reported on Monday.
The report said this was the first demand from the Somali
pirates to Bernhard Schulte Ship Management, the Hamburg
company that owns the tanker. The firm has not responded.
The Longchamp was carrying 3,500 tons of natural gas from
Norway to Vietnam when it was captured in the pirate-infested
waters off the East African coast, despite being escorted by
Indian warships.
Two pirates were injured during the hijacking, and there
are reports of injuries among the tanker's crew of 12 Filipinos
and one Indonesian.
Up to 20 warships from the navies of at least 10 countries
are involved in anti-piracy operations in the area, where
pirates based in Somalia seized around 40 ships last year.
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