Iranian sailor escapes Somali pirates after four years
An Iranian sailor held captive for almost four years by Somali pirates has escaped and is safe in Kenya.
John Steed, a former British army colonel, who has spent years helping negotiate the release of the sailor and ten other colleagues from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, said on Saturday that the men had “sneaked out a window” to escape.
The Iranian sailor managed to escape with the ten other colleagues.
Steed added that the sailors were rescued by security forces from the northern Somali region of Galmadug after their escape.
The sailors along with three Kenyan aid workers who were freed after nearly two years in pirate captivity in northern Somalia were flown to Nairobi on Saturday.
The United Nations says they “will be repatriated to their home countries over the coming days.”
The sailors were onboard Malaysian-flagged container ship, MV Albedo. The vessel was hijacked 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) off Somalia in November 2010, while sailing from the United Arab Emirates to Kenya.
Seven Pakistani crew members were released in 2012 after a ransom of USD 1.1 million was paid to Somali pirates.
During their captivity, the sailors were held in dire conditions and suffered beatings and torture. An Indian sailor in his 20s was shot in the chest by the pirates in an argument.
Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia have decreased substantially in recent years due to efforts by international fleets patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean as well as armed guards aboard many vessels.
presstv