The threat came as pirates insisted they still want US$25 million (HK$195 million) to free the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star. An earlier report was that the demand had been cut to US$15 million.

The Delight, carrying 25 crew and 36,000 tonnes of wheat, was chartered by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, the country's biggest shipping firm. Another IRISL ship, the bulk carrier Iran Deyanat, was hijacked by pirates in August and released in October. The shipping line would not reveal whether a ransom was paid.

Pirate spokesman Mohamed Said said from the village of Harardhere, where the Sirius Star was anchored after its capture: "We are moving the ship from time to time and from place to place for tactical reasons. It's like a war game. We still have enough people on the ground and on the ship. Any attempt to take the ship by force is futile."

Tension is mounting between the pirates and hardline Islamist Shebab fighters who have threatened to attack the hijackers ahead of a November 30 deadline set for ransom payment.

Also yesterday, maritime groups meeting in Kuala Lumpur called on the United Nations to mount a naval blockade to halt the piracy. They also called for clear rules of engagement that would allow foreign navies to intercept and prosecute pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

More than a dozen warships of various nations are in the area, though analysts say the range of the pirates is too great to properly control.

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