Somalia: Somali Pirates Release Hijacked Ship and 17-Member Crew After Ransom Payment

What the report says

Somali pirates have released the cargo vessel MV Sward and its 17-member crew after holding the ship for months, according to security sources in Somalia’s Puntland region cited by AFP and republished by Shabelle Media Network via AllAfrica. The release took place near Garacad, a port in Puntland, after what the sources said was a ransom payment. The amount was not disclosed.

The vessel had been hijacked off the Somali coast on April 26. The crew included 15 Syrian nationals and two Indian nationals, and the report said all remained aboard when the ship was freed before the pirates left for shore. Security sources said vehicles were waiting near the coast, raising questions about possible contacts on land, though no further details were given.

The article also said the MV Sward had been used by the pirates to seize other vessels while under their control, including two Iranian fishing boats and the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship MV Lutuf. That broader pattern fits a wider rise in piracy off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, an area where the International Maritime Organisation has recorded a sharp increase in attacks this year, the highest level since 2013, according to the report.

The story adds that four commercial vessels remain in pirate hands off Somalia. It also notes that accounts of pirate releases can differ, with earlier cases showing disputed explanations from authorities and security sources.