Somali pirates seized UAE oil tanker
DUBAI: A small United Arab Emirates-owned oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates off the Yemen coast in mid-July was released, UAE's state news agency WAM said on Thursday.
No concessions or payment were offered, it said.
Registered under a company from the emirate of Sharjah, MV Jubba XX was seized on her way to port of Berbera, local media reported.
It had left the UAE port of Umm Al Quwain, carrying 3,500 tonnes of oil products and with a crew of 17.
In early July, Somali pirates attacked another oil tanker off Yemen's coast, near the port of Aden, triggering a fire onboard but the vessel and its cargo were recovered eventually.
Shipping and maritime sources say Somali pirates have been using Yemen's remote island of Socotra as a refuelling hub and that seaborne gangs have been exploiting political turmoil in Yemen.
Copyright Reuters, 2011
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.