DUBAI - THE US Navy and the operators of a Saudi oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates could not confirm on Friday reports that the hijackers had demanded a US$25 million (S$38 million) ransom.

'I've read the reports but I can't confirm anything independently on that,' Lieutenant Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet, told Reuters.

He said the U.S. Navy had no new information, but believed the vessel was still docked on the Somali coast at Haradheere.

A spokesman for Vela International, the Dubai-based shipping arm of Saudi Aramco, said he had no new information and declined to comment on reports of a ransom demand.

Vela operates the Sirius Star, which is owned by Saudi Aramco. The giant vessel with a capacity of two million barrels of oil, was seized by Somali pirates around a week ago.

French news agency AFP quoted one of the pirates on Thursday as saying they had demanded a US$25 million ransom and set a 10 day deadline. -- REUTERS