25 crew members on way to Colombo, say Tiger rebels

Colombo: Twenty-five crew members of a Jordanian ship that drifted into Tiger rebel-controlled waters were transported by Red Cross vehicles to the Sri Lankan capital on Monday, a rebel spokesman said.

According to rebel spokesman Daya Master, the crew left Tamil Tiger territory on Monday morning in five Red Cross vehicles.

The Jordanian ship, the Farha-3, was carrying 14,000 tons of Indian rice bound for South Africa when it drifted into rebel waters on Saturday.

The crew included Jordanians, Egyptians and an Iraqi captain.

Sri Lankan navy spokesman, Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake, said the captain of the ship pushed the piracy alarm button after rebels boarded the ship, adding that they lifted the anchor so the ship would drift closer to shore.

However, the rebels claim that they rescued the crew from the ship after it experienced engine trouble.

The Sri Lankan government has filed a complaint with a Singapore-based anti-piracy organisation.