Somali pirates free S. Korean, Thai vessels
17/10/2008 17:27
Somali pirates have freed a South Korean and a Thai vessels after more
than a month of captivity, a regional maritime official confirmed
today.
Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance
Program, said the South Korean bulker Bright Ruby which was seized in the Gulf
of Aden on Sept. 10 as it was sailing from Europe to Asia with cargo was freed
yesterday.
Mwangura said the pirates released Thor Star of Thailand and her
28 crew members, 64 days after the vessel was hijacked 160 km off the coast of
Yemen in early August.
The 1985-built vessel was released by its captors in
Somalia early Tuesday. No details were given about whether any ransom had been
paid to release the vessel and crew.
"The MV Bright Ruby of South Korea was
freed yesterday by pirates while the Thor Star was released a day earlier,"
Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone.
Mwangura said the Thai-flagged ship is
heading towards an unnamed port in the Middle East where the crew, which are
reported to be in good spirits, will be debriefed and undergo medical checks and
be offered psychological counselling before being flown home.
"It's not clear
whether the ransom was paid," said Mwangura. He said the South Korean vessel was
freed with 22 Asian sailors after more than a month of captivity. It were
heading toward a US navy vessel in the area after being set free earlier in the
day.
South Korean fishing boats had been previously captured by pirates off
Somali coast, and in one instance, sailors were held for more than 100 days
before being released.
The surge in attacks has prompted Western warships to
establish a security corridor in the gulf patrolled by an international
coalition of warships.
The development coincided with protests by families of
18 Indian sailors who have been held captive on a ship by Somali pirates since
August.
Warships from several countries are already patrolling the Gulf of
Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and is one of the world's
busiest shipping lanes.
India announced it is sending naval warships to the
Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy patrol and the Philippines on Thursday urged
foreign ship owners to use safe routes.
More than 30 ships have been seized
by pirates this year off the Horn of Africa, including an arms-laden Ukrainian
ship.
The hijacking of the vessel carrying a cargo of military hardware
heightened concerns over the chaos in a key shipping route and prompted NATO to
send warships to help US Navy vessels already patrolling the
region.
Xinhua
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