Somali pirates free hijacked vessel: security sources
Puntland security sources said the ship was freed after a ransom payment, and the pirates had used it to seize other vessels.
- Somali pirates released the MV Sward and its 17 crew members near Garacad, a port in Puntland, after holding the vessel since its hijacking on April 26.
- Pirates used the vessel to capture other ships, including two Iranian fishing boats and the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship MV Lutuf, while the crew consists of 15 Syrian nationals and two Indian nationals.
- Security sources in Puntland confirmed a ransom was paid, though they did not specify the amount, as pirates abandoned the vessel and fled to shore where several vehicles were waiting.
- The International Maritime Organisation recorded at least 15 attacks this year, the highest number since 2013, while four commercial vessels including the Honour, Eureka, Asana, and Seamull remain held by pirates.
- Somalia's federal government claimed the MV Lutuf was freed after "sustained military pressure" from the Turkish navy and Somali armed forces, countering security sources' ransom accounts; the United States sanctioned the Seamull last year.
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The months-long hostage crisis of the M/V Sward was brought to an end by Somali pirates on Friday, who released the cargo ship and its 17 crew members, according to sources in the Puntland security forces. The release reportedly took place after a ransom was paid, without the amount paid to the pirates being known. The Sward was captured on April 26, near the coast of Puntland, in northeastern Somalia. There were 15 Syrians and two Indian sailor…
Protothema
PentapostagmaThe ship and its 17-member crew have been held since April - Four tankers remain under pirate control
Somali pirates have released the cargo ship Sward, hijacked in April, and its seventeen crew members. A ransom has been paid for their release, security sources in the Somali region of Puntland told news agency AFP.
Somali Pirates Have The Released Hijacked Vessel
Bossaso (WDN) — Somali pirates have reportedly released a vessel they had held hostage since April, according to security sources cited by local media, highlighting the continuing vulnerability of commercial shipping in waters already facing growing security threats from piracy and the conflict in Yemen. The vessel, which was reportedly carrying 17 crew members, was...
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- 57% of the sources are Center
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