Pirates hold girl captive

Somali pirates are holding hostage a 12-year-old girl, a freed Spanish captain claimed.

Ricardo Blach, skipper of the Alakrana, told how he saw the Ukrainian girl aboard another hijacked ship.

During his captivity, Blach boarded a second vessel, the cargo ship Ariana, to hand over supplies including medicines and fuel.

Blach saw the Ukrainian girl with her mother and her father, who was a member of the ship's crew.

"Her mother begged me to take (her daughter) with me," Blach said. "I told her I couldn't.

On her ship, the Ariana, there were 12 pirates. On mine, the Alakrana, 30," he said.