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Somali troops prepare to attack to free Taiwanese

Somali soldiers are preparing to attack rebels holding Taiwanese fishermen in the African nation after they threatened to start killing one hostage each day if a ransom is not paid, a Chinese-language newspaper said yesterday.

Gunmen in the harbor of Kismayo have been holding 48 fishermen and their three fishing vessels since Aug. 15, and have demanded US$500,000 for each of the boats and their crews, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Taiwan had asked for international help in contacting the gunmen and talked to the hostage-takers last week in an effort to negotiate a lower ransom.

The Liberty Times quoted unidentified negotiators as saying Somali soldiers had been deployed near Kismayo to prepare for an attack on the captors. UN troops were sent in as back-up, the report said.

But the hostage-takers -- reportedly anti-government rebels -- were moving rockets, machine guns and other weapons aboard the fishing vessels to prepare for an attack, it said. More than 20 gun-toting captors were standing guard over the hostages, it said.

"The situation has been grim as the rebels were planning to use the crew as human shields," the newspaper reported.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶龍) declined comment on the report, but said some progress had been made in negotiating with the hostage-takers.

"We're also watching out for any unexpected situations," Lu said.

The Somali gunmen threatened on Friday to start killing one hostage a day if the ransom was not paid within 48 hours, but so far the crew members have not been harmed, the ministry said.

The hostages include three Taiwanese officers and 45 crew members from Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Piracy along the Somalian coast is common. Several ships a month are attacked or hijacked, with valuables stolen and crews held for ransom.
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