Somali pirates free Filipino crew

09/10/2008| IslamWeb

At least 19 crew members, including 15 Filipinos, who were taken hostage by Somali pirates nearly two months ago, have been freed unharmed.

 

A Japanese-operated chemical tanker seized in August was released late on Wednesday and is set to arrive in Fujairah, a port city in the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday.

 

Claro Cirstobal, a Filipino foreign affairs department spokesman, said the crew members aboard the vessel were "safe and sound despite the ordeal they have undergone".

 

Unconfirmed reports indicate a ransom of $1.6m might have been paid for the release of the men.

 

The vessel was hijacked on August 21 in the Gulf of Aden where five other foreign vessels have been seized since July. More than 50 Filipino sailors remain in the hands of Somali pirates.

 

The Philippines, one of the largest suppliers of crew members in the international shipping industry, has been hit hard by an escalation in the number of attacks by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

 

Faina standoff continues

 

Meanwhile, negotiations were reportedly under way to secure the release the MW Faina, a Ukranian ship carrying tanks and other heavy weapons, which has 20 crew members on board.

 

"The standoff continues though there are reports that a deal up to $8mdollars is in the offering, but there hasn't been any independent confirmation of these reports," Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from Djibouti, said.

 

"Given the fact that ransom money has usually been paid from different capitals in the world, it doesn't look like the money could be delivered to the pirates themselves," he said.

 

The pirates, who seized the vessel in late September, had reportedly originally for $20m.

 

Six US warships have surrounded the MW Faina amid fears that its weapons, including 33 battle tanks, might fall into the hands of armed groups in Somalia.

 

Lieutenant Nathan Christensen, a spokesman from the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said the navy was in regular contact with the crew.

 

He said the navy did not know when the standoff might end, but said they would make sure the pirates do not take the heavy weapons ashore.

 

Somalia's transitional government, which is under pressure from near-daily attacks by armed imposition groups, has given foreign powers the freedom to use force against the pirates.

 

James Appathura, Nato's chief spokesman, said Nato nations have agreed to help combat piracy off Somalia by sending a seven-ship Nato force to the region within weeks.

 

Nato plans to coordinate with organizations including the European Union and escort UN World Food Program ships . 

 

PHOTO CAPTION

 

In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, pirates leave the Ukrainian merchant vessel MV Faina for Somalia's shore Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008.

 

Al-Jazeera