(SomaliNet) Nearly three months after it was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, Somali pirates have freed a Greek cargo ship with 19 crew members, mostly Filipinos, a Philippine official says. The MV Captain Stephanos, a Greek-owned and Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier seized on September 21, was freed on Monday, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said on Wednesday.
Captain Stephanos says the 19 crew members, including 17 Filipinos, one Chinese and one Ukrainian, are in good health and the ship was sailing to Italy before proceeding to Greece. He says 91 Filipino seamen on six other vessels remain in the hands of Somali pirates.
Lieutenant Nathan Christensen, a spokesperson for the US Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, has confirmed the release of the Stephanos.