Follow Al Rai
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday the release of 8 Egyptian sailors who were kidnapped on a ship off the coast of the Puntland region in Somalia since May 2nd.
The Ministry said that the Foreign Minister directed the Egyptian Embassy in Mogadishu to receive them, check on them, and facilitate their return to Egypt on the nearest flight.
The oil tanker "M/T EUREKA" was attacked by Somali pirates on May 2nd while sailing off the Yemeni coast, with a crew of 12 sailors, including 8 Egyptians and 4 Indians, according to the Egyptian Sea Officers' Union.
The Union previously stated that the ship's owner entered direct negotiations with the hijackers and reached a preliminary agreement to pay a ransom of about two million dollars in exchange for the release of the ship and its crew, before the pirates backed out of the agreement and demanded a higher amount.
Know more about this story?Send us a tip
Ask about this report — answers stay grounded in its text.
