Pirates attacked a German cargo ship flying under a Maltese flag and captured its 17 crew members overnight in the Gulf of Aden, officials said on Saturday."A cereal carrier has been seized overnight (Friday to Saturday) in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden," said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme. "It seems that the crew members are unhurt," he added.
The Maltese-flagged vessel, Patriot, was owned by a Germany company and was attacked 150 nautical miles from the Yemeni port of Al-Mukalla, a US Navy spokesman Lieutenant Nathan Christensen told AFP from Bahrain. The nationality of the crew was not known. Meanwhile, Somali pirates have released a Greek ship they captured a couple of months ago after receiving a $1.9 million ransom, one pirate told Reuters on Saturday. "My friends have released the Greek ship after $1.9 million ransom was paid," said Hussein, a pirate. He could not give the name of the ship.