Thursday, March 17, 2011
TUNIS—Somali pirates have released a chemical tanker, whose 31 crewmembers include four Filipinos, hijacked in November after payment of a ransom of $2 million, Tunisia's transport ministry announced Thursday.
The Hannibal II is currently on its way to Djibouti in the Red Sea, the ministry said.
The Tunisian shipowner Gabes Marine Tankers (GMT) announced that the release of the ship was imminent late Wednesday.
"Negotiations have not been easy and we cannot be sure the ship will be released until it leaves Somalian waters accompanied by a naval protection vessel," said company owner Farid Abbas.
The crew is composed of 23 Tunisians, four Filipinos and one each from Croatia, Georgia, Russia and Morocco.
"All possible means of security has been provided, and a civilian plane will be sent (to Djibouti) to repatriate the Tunisian crew today," the ministry said in a statement.
"All the crew are in good health," it said.
The 24,000 ton chemical tanker was carrying vegetable oils from Pasir Guadang in Malaysia to Suez in Egypt when it was attacked and boarded by pirates some 860 nautical miles east of the Horn of Africa on November 11.
The area where it was attacked is considerably closer to India than it is to Somalia.
Source: AFP
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