New Delhi: Somali pirates have released the Indian sailing vessel Al Rafiquei.
There are 16 Indian crew members on board, all of whom are reportedly safe.
The Al Rafiquei, a small vessel carrying cargo, was on its way from Dubai to Mogadishu on when the pirates had struck.
The ship was hijacked on March 21 at 1030 hrs IST, DG Shipping had said in a release.
The ship was carrying rice, refined oil, wheat and general cargo.
The Indian navy had been informed about the incident. An officer from the Director General Shipping office had said, “Coalition forces and the Indian Navy vessel operating in the Gulf of Aden have been informed about the incident and asked to provide immediate assistance.”
The ship and its crew were released on Saturday evening but not before the pirates first stole a part of its cargo of fuel and cell phones.
An estimated 1,500 pirates based in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region have hijacked over 150 ships in the one year last, raking in millions of dollars in ransom.
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