by RTT Staff Writer
An Italian cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman seven months ago has been freed, Italian authorities and media reports citing the ship's owner said on Friday.
The Italian foreign ministry confirmed that the hijacked vessel and all of its 22-member crew have been freed, but added that they have not yet been handed over to Italian authorities.
"This is an operation which is still underway in a high risk zone which can only be considered to be closed once the crew has been taken into charge by the Italian military authorities," the ministry said in a statement.
However, the ships' Naples-based owner Perseveranza Navigazione has reportedly said that the pirates have left the vessel and the captain of the ship as well other crew-members were safe and well.
It is not clear whether any ransom was paid for the release of Rosalia d'Amato, which was on its way from Brazil to Iran with a cargo of soya when it was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea April 21.
Somalia's coastline, particularly the Gulf of Aden, has been infested with piracy in recent years. Pirates are presently believed to be holding at least 10 ships and more than 240 hostages off the Somali coast. The incidents mostly end with payment of ransom after lengthy negotiations, but generally without any fatalities.
Pirate attacks off the Somali coast and in the Indian Ocean continue despite the presence of several warships deployed by navies of the NATO, the European Union, Russia, China, South Korea and India to protect cargo and cruise ships against piracy.
The pirates have recently extended their operations deep into the Indian Ocean to avoid interception by international anti-piracy forces conducting regular patrols in the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Source: The RTT News
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