'Somali pirates release UAE-owned ship'

A maritime official says Somali pirates have released a UAE-owned ship, with about a dozen crew members from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tanzania, that was captured a week ago.

A maritime official says Somali pirates have released a UAE-owned ship, with about a dozen crew members from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tanzania, that was captured a week ago.

HT Image

Regional seafarers official Andrew Mwangura says the owners of the MV Victoria told him the ship was released on Friday at 12:50 pm local time (1520 IST) and is now travelling with a handful of Somali soldiers on board to ensure it safe passage.

The MV Victoria is on its way to the Somali capital of Mogadishu to offload its cargo, says Mwangura. He is the head of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program. There have been conflicting reports about whether the ship is carrying humanitarian aid or commercial cargo.