Pirates holding an abducted arms-laden Ukrainian ship moored off northeastern Somalia said they will fight against any attempt to rescue the ship and its 20 crew members, local media reported Friday.

Any attempt to rescue the ship, which is carrying 33 Russian made T-72 tanks, small weapons and ammunitions, would be "catastrophic", Ali Sugule, leader of the pirates holding the Ukrainian ship told local Shabelle radio by satellite phone on board the ship.

"The (foreign) warships coming to Somali coast should fight the real culprits, which are the illegal fishing trawlers that are sweeping the natural resources of our country and dumping dangerous industrial waste into our seas, not us fishermen protecting our resources," Sugule said.

On Thursday, NATO said that some of its member states are willing to send warships into Somali coastline to fight rampant piracy in the Horn of Africa country.

Sugule denied reports that deal about ransom was in the offing but confirmed that negotiations with ship owners were continuing.

The pirates, who hijacked the Ukrainian ship late last month, had demanded a ransom of 20 million U.S. dollars for the release of the ship and its cargo of military hardware whose destination had remained controversial since the ship's abduction.

Suggle asserted that his men do not attack or hijack local commercial or aid carrying ships for Somalia saying they would fighting those "pirates" doing such activities.

The leaders of Somali pirates who are well trained, equipped and claim to be "voluntary coastal guards", usually speak with local and international media by satellite phones on board the hijacked ships.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2008)