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Somali pirates free Italian chemical tanker
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Tuesday April 24, 2012 - 22:57:16 in Latest News by Super Admin
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Somali pirates have released an Italian chemical tanker captured off the coast of Oman in December with 18 crew members, Italian Foreign ministry said on Monday.
In a statement the ministry said “The foreign ministry confirms the release of the crew of the Italian ship ‘Enrico Ievoli’ off the Somali coast”.
The vessel, Enrico Ievoli, owned by a Naples-based shipping company Marnavi, was carrying caustic soda from the United Arab Emirates to the Mediterranean when it was hijacked by Somali pirates.
Seven Indians, six Italians and five Ukrainians on were board when the pirates seized the tanker last December.
Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi was quoted as expressing his “great satisfaction” and said it was part of “a wider diplomatic effort carried out also with Somali authorities in recent months.”
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in February asked his Somali counterpart Abdiweli Mohamed Ali to do “everything in his power” to ensure the release.
Terzi was on Monday quoted as saying “This incident is further confirmation of the gravity of the security threat posed by the phenomenon of piracy”.
Ship owner Domenico Ievoli said “the ship has already left Somalia and there are Italian military on board,” according to ANSA news agency.
Earlier, three other hijacked Italian vessels were freed from Somali pirates in November and December, two of them reportedly following ransom payments.
The Savina Caylyn, an oil tanker with five Italians and 17 Indians on board, was freed on December 21 after more than 10 months in captivity.
The foreign ministry denied the government had paid ransom and said the liberation was the result of “constant pressure” on Somali authorities.
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Somali pirates free Italian chemical tanker
Somali pirates have released an Italian chemical tanker captured off the coast of Oman in December with 18 crew members, Italian Foreign ministry said on Monday.