The seized South Korean tanker
Somali pirates released two of the eight Indian boats hijacked in recent weeks along with 26 sailors, a shipping body said on Sunday.
Somali pirates have hijacked a South Korean crude oil carrier with 24 crewmembers while their comrades released two of eight Indian boats hijacked since March, AFP reported.
Some 80 other Indian sailors are still believed to be in pirate captivity on the six ships near the Seychelles islands.
"One vessel with 15 sailors on board was released by the pirates yesterday, while another one was freed early this morning along with 11 sailors," said Kasam Ali, president of the Kutch Vahanvati Association in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, the South Korean foreign ministry said 19 Filipinos and five South Koreans were onboard the seized US-bound carrier, the Samho Dream, which had set sail from Iraq.
The latest vessel to fall prey to the sea bandit's attacks was snatched off the coast of Somalia.
Somali pirates continue to make large profits in one of the world's busiest maritime trade passages, despite an international anti-piracy naval mission in the region.
Last year alone, they collected an estimated 60 million dollars in ransoms.
Source: AFP.
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