20 Filipino hostages freed
17/07/2006 07:17  - (SA)  

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Hijacked ship may be freed Pirates hijack tanker UN ship attacked off Somalia Pirates want ransom for sailors Somali pirates strike again Pirates release hostages

Manila - About 20 Filipino seamen kidnapped by pirates in Somalia in March had been released and were on their way home, said officials on Monday.

Roy Cimatu, the government's special envoy to the Middle East, said the men were freed on Saturday and it wasn't clear if any ransom had been paid.

According to the Philippine foreign affairs department, the men were seized after their oil tanker, the United Arab Emirates-registered MT LIN1, offloaded its cargo at a southern Somali port on March 29.

Cimatu said the owners of the ship, who were not identified, negotiated for the release of the men. No other details were provided.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, piracy in Somalia rose sharply last year, with the number of reported incidents at 35, compared with two in 2004.

The bandits target both passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot.

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