Italian Tanker and Crew Freed from Somali Pirates

Italian chemical tanker, Enrico Ievoli, and its crew have recently been released by the pirates who hijacked the vessel late last year off Oman's coast.

The nearly 17,000-ton ship, owned by Naples-based Marnavi with a crew of six Italians, five Ukrainians and seven Indians, was seized in the Arabian Sea on December 27, while it was transporting a cargo of caustic soda from the United Arab Emirates, according to the Chicago Tribune.

No confirmation regarding whether a ransom payment was made to the pirates has been made yet. The ship owners were not immediately available for comments, and Italy's Foreign Ministry has only stated that the crew and ship's release was made possible through sheer dedication and professionalism.

The families of the six Italian crew members had been informed of their release. An official at the ministry could not say whether the vessel or the crew had been finally handed over into official custody.