Somali pirates free 14 Pinoy seafarers

MANILA, Philippines - Fourteen Filipino seafarers held hostage by Somali pirates in an oil tanker were freed after 10 months of detention, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced yesterday.

The  Philippine embassy in Nairobi, Kenya said Somali pirates released the M/T Smyrni, a Greek-owned and Liberian-flagged oil tanker, and its 26-member crew, including 14 Filipinos.

The vessel and its crew were released on March 9 after being detained for 10 months. All the crewmembers are in good physical condition, the DFA said.

The M/T Smyrni was hijacked by Somali pirates on May 10, 2012 off the coast of Oman.