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Saudi tanker 'freed off Somalia' Saudi tanker 'freed off Somalia'
(about 2 hours later)
A Saudi super-tanker that was captured by Somali pirates in November carrying two million barrels of oil has been released, unconfirmed reports say. A Saudi super-tanker that was captured by Somali pirates in November carrying two million barrels of oil has been released, reports quoting pirates say.
The Sirius Star was reportedly seen moving south-east away from the Somali coast. A pirate spokesman was quoted as saying the pirates had left the vessel. A regional maritime group also said pirates had left the Sirius Star, which was now moving to "safe waters", Reuters news agency reported.
The ship and its crew have been held near the Somali coast during reported negotiations over a ransom payment. One unconfirmed report says that a $3m (£1.95m) ransom was paid, although the ship's owner refused to comment.
There were more than 100 pirate attacks reported off Somalia's coast last year. The vessel, with 25 crew, is the biggest tanker ever to be hijacked.
The audacious seizure drew fresh attention to the dangerous waters off Somalia's coastline. All our people have now left the Sirius Star. The ship is free, the crew is free Somali pirate, Mohamed Said
There were more than 100 reported pirate attacks in the busy shipping lanes off eastern and northern Somalia last year.
An international force headed by the US is due to be established by the end of the month to tackle the problem.
'Usual asking price'
"All our people have now left the Sirius Star. The ship is free, the crew is free," Mohamed Said, one of the leaders of the pirate group, told the AFP news agency."All our people have now left the Sirius Star. The ship is free, the crew is free," Mohamed Said, one of the leaders of the pirate group, told the AFP news agency.
A man described as an associate of the pirates, Farah Osman, added that the pirates released the ship after receiving a $3m (£1.95m) ransom payment. The departure of the pirates from the ship was confirmed by the Kenyan-based East African Seafarers' Assistance programme.
"Pirates holding the Saudi ship took $3m yesterday evening and then released the ship this morning," he told Reuters news agency. "The last batch of gunmen have disembarked from the Sirius Star," said Andrew Mwangura. "She is now steaming out to safe waters."
A man described as an associate of the pirates said they had received the $3m ransom payment.
"Pirates holding the Saudi ship took $3m yesterday evening and then released the ship this morning," Farah Osman told Reuters news agency.
But the owner of the Sirius Star refused to confirm or deny any details when contacted by the BBC.
The Sirius Star was carrying $100m worth of oil- a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - when it was seized 450 nautical miles south-east of Kenya.
One of the pirates, calling himself Daybad, told the BBC by telephone at the time that they had no intention of harming the crew.
He admitted they were negotiating a ransom of "the usual asking price", but denied reports it was up to $25m (£16.6m).
And he blamed the lack of peace in Somalia and the plunder of its waters by foreign fishing trawlers for their move into piracy.
The ship's captain, Marek Nishky, was allowed to speak to the BBC under the scrutiny of his captors, and said there was "not a reason for complaints".