German-owned ship seized by Somali pirates is free

Berlin

The crew of a German-owned tanker that was hijacked by Somali pirates two months ago in the Gulf of Aden has regained command of the ship, its Hamburg-based operator said on Saturday.

Bernard Schulte Ship management said in a statement that the crew of 12 Filipinos and one Indonesian were unharmed and that the "Longchamp" would now proceed towards its original destination of Vietnam.

The tanker, carrying liquefied petroleum gas, was seized on January 29 by pirates, who took it down the coast of Somalia and have held it captive for the past two months.

Somali gunmen hijacked dozens of ships last year, causing havoc in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, but the number of attacks has declined in recent months after foreign navies rushed to the area.

The operator said the vessel was freed at about 0600 GMT on Saturday, but gave no details on how the crew had regained control.

Reuters