Somali Islamists 'share' hostages

MOGADISHU, Somalia, July 16 (UPI) -- A Somali insurgent said Thursday his group agreed to share two French hostages with another group "to save the blood of Islamists."

The man, a leader in Hizbul Islam, told The New York Times a more powerful group, the Shahab, demanded the two Frenchmen, who were kidnapped from their hotel in Mogadishu earlier this week.

"We decided to share the hostages in order to save the blood of Islamists," he said. "After a little dispute, one French guy was transferred to the Shabab. Now we have one, they have one."

The Shahab has ties to al-Qaida, the U.S. military says. The group bans playing soccer and has punished adultery with stoning.

The French Foreign Ministry said the two men were in Somalia to train members of the security forces.

At a news conference in Mogadishu, Interim Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said he talked to one of the hostages, who told him he is being well-treated, CNN reported.

Sharmarke said three Somali security guards are suspected of being involved in the abduction and have been arrested. He said the kidnapping was the work of a militant group.