BOSSASO, Somalia Oct 12 (Garowe Online) - Security forces in Somalia's Puntland regional government raided a ship held by pirates in the Indian Ocean, Radio Garowe reported Sunday.

At least three people – two pirates, one soldier – were killed during a gunfight in the high seas between pirates who hijacked a ship transporting goods to local merchants and Puntland soldiers, government adviser Ali Abdi Aware said.

Four others were wounded during the firefight, but the security effort failed and the pirates reportedly moved the hijacked ship south towards the coastal town of Eyl, where several foreign ships are being held for ransom.

A business source in Bossaso told Radio Garowe that the administration of Puntland President Adde Muse was "pressured to act" on the ship, because the goods are owned by Somali entrepreneurs.

Death sentence

A group of criminals who briefly kidnapped a British oil worker last week were sentenced to death by a Puntland court today. [Full story]

Sheikh Mohamed Abdi Aware, chief justice of the Bari Regional Court, listened to the Puntland government's case against the three suspects in custody – Yasin Mohamed Abukar, Abdirisak Jibril and Yasin Bul’an – and a fourth suspect who remains at large.

The suspects are accused of kidnapping Mr. Carl Fletcher, a British national working as a contractor for Africa Oil Corp., a Canadian firm exploring for oil in the Puntland regions.

A security team employed by Africa Oil successfully rescued the kidnapped oil worker, who was returned to Bossaso unharmed.

Each of the three suspects in custody was sentenced to death, while the fourth suspect in absentia was sentenced to 15 years.

Source: Garowe Online