(RTTNews) - Somali pirates have released a Spanish fishing vessel and its 36-member-crew they hijacked 46 days ago in the Indian Ocean after receiving a ransom, reports said.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a news conference Tuesday that the pirates abandoned the tuna trawler MS Alakrana but did not comment on reports about ransom paid for its release.
He said the boat is "sailing freely towards safer waters and that all of its crew members are safe and sound."
The pirates earlier claimed they were leaving the ship after being promised a ransom of about $4 million (2.3 million euros).
They also said there was an agreement on the release of two of the suspected pirates captured by a Spanish frigate and brought to Madrid for trial. The pirates had threatened to kill the fishermen unless the two were released.
MS Alakrana, based in the port of Bermeo, was captured by pirates in a pre-dawn attack on October 2 about 650 kilometers off the Somali coast.
It was the second attack on the vessel after it set sail on August 31 with 16 Spaniards, eight Indonesians, and 8 Africans on board. It escaped a hijack attempt on September 4.
by RTT Staff Writer
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