Intense fighting between Somali pirate gangs over a record ransom amount paid for the release of a Greek oil supertanker has killed at least six people, elders and pirates said.
Tension has been high in the central Somali pirate lair since an estimated seven million dollars were dropped by a small plane on Sunday for the release of the VLCC Maran Centaurus.
The Greek-flagged supertanker is a third of a kilometre (300 yards) long and carrying two million barrels of crude oil.
"The situation is calm this morning but there is still tension between the pirates. Three of them, including a senior pirate leader, were killed so far and three others were injured," local elder Moalim Abdalla Hasan told AFP.
"We are trying to mediate between them because they are disturbing our peace. A civilian was killed in the crossfire and the residents are very concerned about this feud," he added.
Hasan Nile, a local grocer who could not open his shop on Tuesday because of the security situation in Harardhere, said the pirate vendetta involved heavy weapons.
