Africa News
Somali pirates free Spaniards on 4-million-dollar ransom (Extra)
Nov 17, 2009, 12:38 GMT
Madrid/Mogadishu - Somali pirates who have been holding the 36 crew of a Spanish fishing vessel for 46 days released them on Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said.
The pirates received a ransom of about 4 million dollars (2.3 million euros), a pirates' representative told the German Press Agency dpa earlier by phone.
'We received 4 million dollars to release the Spanish fishing boat,' said Ali Dhere, a member of the piracy ring holding MS Alakrana.
'We have agreed on this amount and will release (the hostages) soon,' Dhere said.
Dhere also said there was an agreement on the release of two of the suspected pirates who were captured by a Spanish frigate and brought to Madrid for trial.
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