Somali pirates drowned in rivals' attack

MOMBASA, Kenya, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- One of the Somali pirates who hijacked a Saudi oil supertanker says fears of being robbed by other pirates led to the drowning deaths of five of his crew.

Pirate Libaan Jaama, one of the hijackers who had held the Sirius Star and its cargo of 2 million barrels of crude oil hostage since Nov. 15, told CNN Tuesday that after a $3.5 million ransom was paid and the pirates were aboard an escape boat in the Gulf of Aden, they encountered rival pirates who began shooting into the air.

In an effort to evade the rivals, who were looking for a cut of the ransom, the Sirius pirates executed a turn-around move that capsized the boat and drowned five of hijackers, Jaama said.

"When our pirates heard the shots, they thought they would be robbed, so they tried to return to the tanker," he told CNN. "In that quick turn the boat capsized."

The Kenya Seafarers Association told the broadcaster the Sirius Star's crew of 23 Croatians, Britons, Filipinos, Poles and Saudis was in "good health and high spirits" when the vessel was released Saturday.