Somali pirates have freed a Japanese chemical tanker and its crew after a $1.6m ransom was paid.
The MT Irene was seized by gunmen on 21 August as it travelled to India from France through the Gulf of Aden.
Somali gunmen have seized at least 30 vessels this year and attacked many more in the world's busiest and most dangerous shipping area connecting Europe to Asia and the Middle East.
Abdulqadir Muse Yusuf, a regional government official said that the pirates disembarked and the ship sailed away.
He added that its 25 crew members are safe.
In the highest profile incident in years, Somali gunmen are holding a Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and other weaponry.
Yesterday an onshore associate of those pirates said an $8m ransom deal was in the offing that might allow that ship to be freed within days.
The MV Faina has been held since the end of September with 20 crew on board.
Its cargo includes 33 T-72 tanks that were en route to Kenya's Mombasa port.
Earlier this week, the UN Security Council again called for a joint naval operation against the pirates, who have reaped millions in ransoms this year and pushed up insurance costs.
