Cuban hijackers 'heading for US'

The mother of one of the dead hijackers wept at the news

The authorities in the Bahamas say a Cuban charting vessel which was hijacked on Tuesday is probably heading towards the United States.

A spokesman for the government of the Bahamas said the hijackers were thought to be trying to reach the coast of Florida.

The US Coast Guard said it was "monitoring the vessel's actions and preparing an appropriate response".

It is not the policy of the Cuban Government to attack hijacked vessels in the high seas with people on board because of the serious risk of accidents or loss of life Cuban authorities

It is the second boat hijacking reported by Cuba this week.

On Monday, three men were killed during a shoot-out as they tried to hijack a fishing boat in the west of Cuba.

A 10-year-old boy was also seriously injured after being shot in the head.

The second hijacking took place on Tuesday morning, and the boat has been followed by coastguard authorities from both Cuba, the Bahamas and the US.

The boat, which belongs to a Cuban Government marine surveying company, is reported to be making slow progress across the Florida Straits.

Cuba has asked the Bahamas or the US to return the vehicle, which is carrying at least 10 people.

The BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Havana says both hijacking incidents reveal that there are some who are prepared to take the risk of stealing or hijacking boats to leave Cuba, despite the very severe consequences they face if caught.

In April, three Cubans were executed by a firing squad for their part in a foiled attempt to hijack a ferry and head for the US.

That brought Cuba international condemnation. At the time, the Cuban Government said the extreme measure was necessary to prevent a wave of hijackings and that it would do the same again, if necessary.

Havana says the US policy of granting asylum to Cubans who set foot on US soil encourages hijacking. The US has stressed that its asylum policy does not extend to hijackers.

Standoff

In Monday's incident, three men, accompanied by a woman and two children and armed with pistols, tried to hijack a small fishing boat in the western province of Pinar del Rio.

They initially tried to take the owner hostage but he escaped.

When the group found they could not start the boat's engine, they were soon surrounded by other fishing boats and Cuban security forces.

The hijackers apparently then threatened to kill the women and children.

After a standoff lasting an hour, a shoot-out began. It is not clear if the Cuban security authorities were involved in this.

The 10-year-old boy who was injured is expected to survive, but all three men on board the boat were killed.