Somali pirates to 'release British couple'

Somali pirates claim they have received a ransom of one million dollars for the release of a British
couple they have held captive for over a year.

This undated photo obtained by Press TV shows the kidnapped couple strolling in an identified area where they have been held.

Paul and Rachel Chandler were vacationing in the Indian Ocean en route to Tanzania when their 11.6-meter (38-foot) yacht was hijacked by a gang of armed pirates on October 23, 2009.

"A regional elder in Adado city has confirmed that pirates have received one million dollars and they plan to release the couple at 8:00 local time tomorrow (Sunday)," a Press TV correspondent reported from Mogadishu.

Adado is a city in located in the Galguduud administrative regions of central Somalia and is considered a relatively safe area in a country torn by civil strife.

Press TV was informed that the couple is to be flown to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi after ransom negotiations conducted by local doctor. The pirates had originally demanded a seven-million-dollar ransom.

The pirates usually target large trade ships or oil tankers sailing in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, holding the vessels and their crew for ransom.

The sea bandits have made off with millions of dollars since 2007, when a surge in piracy prompted the European Union to dispatch naval forces to the region.

The attacks have not decreased and analysts now say piracy has turned into a lucrative business.

Source: PressTV