CAIRO: Somali pirates have released an Egyptian ship with 25 crew on board which was hijacked earlier this month off Somalia s Puntland region, the official MENA news agency reported on Saturday.
The pirates, who had demanded a ransom before releasing the hostages and ship, allowed the vessel to set sail late on Friday, MENA reported, adding that the ship was currently in international waters on its way back to Egypt.
The release came after weeks of negotiations between the pirates and Egyptian intelligence officials, according to MENA. No details were available on whether a ransom was paid.
On Saturday, Somali pirates holding more than a dozen merchant ships hostage released a Japanese vessel for a ransom of $2 million, a local official said.
Meanwhile, Somali pirates are seeking $35 million (?24 million) to release a Ukrainian freighter carrying tanks and grenade launchers for the Kenyan military, a maritime official said Saturday.
The MV Faina was seized on Thursday with a crew of 21 people on board as it neared the Kenyan port of Mombasa with a cargo of T-72 battle tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition.
They are demanding 35 million dollars for the ransom, but I think it is the start of the negotiation, said Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program.
An official from the semi-autonomous northeastern region of Puntland said the freighter was headed Saturday for pirate strongholds in central Somalia.
The pirates are heading towards Hobyo and Haradere and it seems that they are looking for chances to unload any light military supplies on board the ship, said Bile Mohamoud Qabowsade, an advisor to the Puntland presidency.
Qabowsade said he had received reports that the pirates who seized the tank-laden Ukrainian freighter were preparing for a battle.
We are getting information that the pirates are getting ready to respond if attacked, he said. They deployed more armed men into the waters.
The Russian navy has sent the frigate Neustrashimy (Fearless) to the region in response to what it said was a rise in pirate attacks, including against Russian citizens.
Meanwhile, a maritime watchdog reported that a Greek chemical tanker with 19 crew on board had become the latest vessel to be hijacked by Somali pirates in the notoriously dangerous Gulf of Aden.
Last year more than 25 ships were seized by pirates in Somali coastal waters despite US navy patrols, according to the International Maritime Bureau. – AFP
