Italian oil tanker Savina Caylyn, with five Italians and 17 Indians on board, has been freed by Somali pirates after nearly 11 months in captivity, the Italian government said today.
Prime Minister Mario Monti expressed his “great satisfaction” for the release of Savina Caylyn and the crew. No details of how the vessel was released were given.
The 105,000 dwt tanker, owned by Naples-based shipping company Fratelli D’Amato, was seized on February 8 near the Yemeni island of Socotra.
The tanker was on its way from Sudan to Malaysia carrying a load of crude oil for the Arcadia commodities trading company when five pirates on a skiff opened fire with rocket launchers and submachine guns.
The ship tried to avoid captivity by increasing speed when suddenly it changed gear and started firing powerful water jets on the pirate boat.
