EL HUR, Somalia -- One of two Iranian fishing vessels hijacked by Somali pirates sneaked off in the waters off the coast of El Hur in central Somalia according to residents, Garowe Online reports. Abdullahi Hamud, a resident of Hobyo confirmed on VOA Somali Service that the vessel with sixteen Iranian and four Somali crew members on board escaped on Thursday.Somali government officials couldn’t be reached for comments on the matter, though large swathes in central Somalia remain under the control of hostile clan militias and moderate Islamists.
In late March, Somali pirates seized the Iranian vessel which was allegedly fishing illegally in territorial waters, making it the first hijacking since 2012 when pirates held Liberian-flagged MT Smyrni.
Credible sources reported that the sailors who had since been held captive subdued four pirates on the boat.