Hijacked Ship Released

Merchant vessel (MV) Sinin which was hijacked by Somali pirates in February with 21 persons, including 9 Indians, on board was released on Saturday. In a statement released on Saturday, the director general of shipping confirmed the release and said that all the "21 persons, including 9 Indians, are safe". Owners of the ship have replenished fuel and food supply. The vessel is expected to reach Colombo by August 19, where it will be dry docked for inspection. tnnMaltese-flagged MV Sinin was on its way to Fujairah in UAE from Singapore when the pirates attacked it 350 nautical miles east of Oman. The bulk carriers, managed by Irano Hind Shipping in Tehran, also had 12 Iranians on board. Following a distress signal, an aircraft of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) immediately responded and it photographed two suspected Somali pirates skiffs on board the vessel.