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africanews

Somali pirates have released two Indian boats with 26-crew seized last week but have hijacked a South Korea tanker.
Prisoners of Somalian pirates in Eyl. Photo by Sheekh Aduun
Pirates hijacked the two India boats which were leaving from a port in Kismayo, where Al-Qaeda linked group of Al-Shabaab controls, to Dubai.

"One vessel with 15 sailors on board was released by the pirates yesterday (Saturday), while another one was freed early this morning (Sunday) along with 11 sailors," AFP news agency quoted Kasam Ali, president of the Kutch Vahanvati Association in Gujarat.

The bandits group also seized a South Korean oil tanker with 24 sailors on Sunday off the coast of lawless and war-torn nation, Somalia.

Seoul’s foreign ministry has said that the Samho Dream tanker was carrying 300,000-ton of goods and heading to the US state of Louisiana from Iraq.

"The ship is presumed to have been hijacked by Somali pirates," a statement released by the foreign ministry said.

The government also said it will do its best for safety of the 24 crew, five South Koreans and 19 Filipinos.

Somali bandits have made tens of millions of dollars for ransom payment. Only last year, pirates made over $60 million for a ransom payment after they took nearly 47 vessels and 300 crews.

They currently have over 80 Indian crew with six ships hijacked near the Seychelles. Somalia has not had an effective government since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.