Somali pirates release 17 Pinoy seamen

Manila, Philippines - Somali pirates released Greek-flagged supertanker M/V Irene SL and its 25-member crew, including 17 Filipinos, the Department of Foreign Affairs ( DFA) confirmed yesterday.

“The DFA received reports Friday on the release from pirates’ captivity of the M/V Irene SL with 17 Filipino seafarers on board. The crew are in good health,” DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said.

“Arrangements are underway for the Filipino seafarers’ return to the Philippines and the warm embrace of their family members, who patiently awaited this event for so long,” he added.

The ship is now heading to the port of Durban in South Africa. 

The Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) said armed pirates seized the tanker, which carried about $200 million worth of crude oil, on Feb. 9 as it was sailing from the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico.

The CMF said the M/V Irene SL had gone missing 220 nautical miles from Oman. Lieutenant-Commander Susie Thomson of the CMF, a coalition of 25 naval forces patrolling the maritime areas of the region, said the missing ship’s last port of call was Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.