Held by pirates

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA —  A Somali official said Wednesday that pirates had freed a Yemeni cargo ship and its eight crew members without receiving any ransom.

Ali Abdi Aware, state minister in the northern semi-autonomous region of Puntland, said the pirates released the ship Tuesday night after an appeal by local clan elders and regional officials.

The ship, seized last month in the Arabian Sea, was one of 40 vessels hijacked in the area this year. Below are some of the ships believed still being held by pirates:

Captain Stephanos: Seized Sept. 21. The Bahamas-flagged freighter was loaded with coal, with a crew of 17 Filipinos, one Chinese and one Ukrainian.

Faina: Seized Sept. 24. The Ukrainian ship was carrying 33 Russian-made T-72 tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition, reportedly destined for the Kenyan port of Mombasa. Pirates have demanded $20 million in ransom.

Stolt Strength: Seized Nov. 10. The Philippine-flagged chemical tanker, with 23 Filipino crew members, was carrying more than 26,000 tons of oil products.

Karagol: Seized Nov. 12. The Turkish ship, with 14 crew members, was transporting more than 4,400 tons of chemicals to Mumbai, India.

Chemstar Venus: Seized

Nov. 15. The Panama-flagged chemical and oil tanker was sailing from Indonesia to Ukraine with a crew of 18 Filipinos and five South Koreans.

Sirius Star: Seized Nov. 15. The Saudi supertanker, the biggest ship ever hijacked, was carrying as much as

2 million barrels of oil. It had a crew of 25 from Croatia, Britain, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia.

Delight: Seized Nov. 18. The Hong Kong-flagged ship, with 25 crew members, was bound for Iran with more than 39,000 tons of wheat.

Biscaglia: Seized Nov. 28. The Liberian-flagged chemical tanker had 30 crew members, most of them Indians.

Source: Reuters and Associated Press