Somali Pirates Free Hostages After almost Five Years

zoom Four Thai fishermen who were held in captivity for almost five years by Somali pirates have been freed, according to Agence France Presse (AFP). The fishermen were taken hostage in April 2010 in an attack by Somali pirates on Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel FV Prantalay 12. Omar Sheikh Ali, an official in Somalias central Galmudug administration said that the four men were collected from a remote area, the news agency reported. It is reported that the release took place after a ransom of  $150,000 was paid. There were 24 people on board the ship when the hijacking occurred of whom six died and 14 were released in May 2011. The Prantalay 12 was captured with two other fishing vessels, Prantalay 11 and 14, with a total crew of 77 who had been looking for tuna and working out of Djibouti. Indian naval forces on INS Cankarso rescued Prantalay 14 at the beginning of 2011 following a 12-hour gun battle, resulting in 15 pirates surrendering and being taken to Kochi for prosecution. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNCTOD)with the help of the Puntland authorities and elders, managed to obtain the release of 14 Burmese crew members in 2011. The UNODC Hostage Support Programme (HSP) was in talks with the pirates holding the crew on their release terms. The seized ship was used by the pirates as a pirate mother ship  before it capsized in July 2011. Image: Eunavfor