Pirates and Islamists struggle for control of kidnapped yacht pair

The British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates have been at the centre of violent clashes after one faction of the gang wanted to hand them over to Islamic extremists.

Paul and Rachel Chandler are not believed to have been injured in the fighting but fears were growing for their safety today.

Mohamed Osman, a commander of the pirates holding the couple, told the Standard: "I'm afraid new clashes between pirates and the
Islamists could lead to the hostages being in danger."

The couple, from Tunbridge Wells, were seized on 23 October when armed men boarded their yacht as they sailed from the Seychelles towards Tanzania.

Their boat, Lynn Rival, was found empty in open waters. Hussein Mohamed Kahiye, a clan leader in the Somali village of Bahdo, said his people had taken up arms with a moderate Islamic group to prevent the Chandlers falling into the hands of extremists.

He said: "We did not want the pirates to use our territory to hold hostages or hand them over to
another group."

Mr Chandler, 59, and his 55-year-old wife were thought to have been held on a ship anchored off the eastern coast of Somalia but Mr Kahiye said they had now been moved to an onshore site.

Last week, the pirates issued a £4.2 million ransom demand. Another pirate commander, Mohamed Shakir, said: "We heard that Islamists with battle-wagons are on the way. I hope they will not succeed to confiscate the British couple."

He added: "Armed pirates are flowing into Bahdo to defend against any Islamists' attack."