Somali pirate base captured by Islamist forces

Reported here:

Somalia's dominant Islamic militia seized control of a central township near the coastline that has been a base of piracy and dozens of hijackings of ships in the Indian Ocean, officials and residents said.

"The Islamic courts are in full control of Haradere and we were welcomed by its inhabitants, who were forcefully ruled by pirates," Sheikh Said Ali, an Islamic courts official, told AFP of the township that lies about 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Mogadishu.

"The era of banditry and piracy is over. People can now live peacefully and get money by fishing and doing other businesses, but not piracy. The pirates have mistreated people in the territorial waters of Somalia and damaged our credibility," he added.

Of course, remember that some of the pirates allege they have been acting a a fisheries patrol to keep outside fishermen from Somali waters...