11 Aug 2009
Somali pirates have released an Italian-flagged tugboat and its 16 crew members, four months after seizing the vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

Commenting on the news, the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini expressed his satisfaction about the vessel's release and said that it was the result of exceptional work on the part of Somali authorities and Italian intelligence.

This is while news reports suggest that a ransom of USD 2 million was paid to the pirates in exchange for the release of the ship and its crew of 10 Italians, 5 Romanians and one Croatian.

The tugboat and its crew had been held hostage since April 11. The ship is reportedly being escorted by navy vessels and is on its way to Djibouti. Its crew members expect to be home by mid-August.

Last week, Somali pirates released a Malaysian tugboat, TB Masindra 7, and its 11 Indonesian crew members after a ransom of USD 2 million was paid to the bandits.

Piracy off Somalia, one of the world's busiest shipping areas, and other coasts of Africa has increased sharply over the past year, earning the pirates millions of dollars in ransom payments and pushing up maritime insurance rates.

Dozens of international naval ships are patrolling the waters off Somalia. However, they have not been successful in stopping pirate attacks.
presstv