Somali Pirates Move Hijacked Ships After Insurgents Seize Town

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clipped from www1.voanews.com Somali pirates have moved three hijacked ships from the port of Harardheere, which was seized by Islamist militants on Sunday. Witnesses say pirates sent the three ships farther out to sea as fighters from the insurgent group Hizbul Islam stormed into Harardheere, prompting pirates there to flee. The destination of the ships is not known but many of the pirates have fled to another pirate stronghold, Hobyo, farther north on Somalia's eastern coast. A spokesman for Hizbul Islam, Abdinasir Mohamed Afdhuub, says the group seized Harardheere to impose Islamic law. However, pirates from the area say Hizbul Islam had demanded a cut of the pirates multi-million dollar business – hijacking ships for ransom. Somali pirates have made tens of millions of dollars hijacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean over the last few years. The pirates are currently believed to be holding 24 ships with about 400 crew members.

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Bombs Kill 30 at Mogadishu Mosque

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clipped from www1.voanews.com Two bomb blasts ripped through a mosque in Somalia's capital Saturday, killing at least 30 people and wounding up to 70 others. The explosions were at the Abdala Shideye mosque in Mogadishu's main Bakara market, an area controlled by militant Islamist groups al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam. The mosque is often used by al-Shabab leaders to deliver speeches. Witnesses said one of the group's high-ranking officials, Fuad Mohamed Qalaf, was inside the mosque at the time of the bombings. Qalaf, who is the target of international sanctions, was reported to have escaped with only minor injuries. Al-Shabab militants arrived after the explosions and blocked access to the area. No one claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack. It was the second bomb attack on a mosque in Bakara this week.

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