Somali pirates claim to have released a hijacked bulk carrier after their ransom demands were met.
The 58,000-dwt Abdullah (built 2015), owned by steel group KSRM, was seized in mid-March in an incident that raised fears about the resumption of Somali piracy.
A $5m ransom was demanded for the ship and, on Sunday, pirates holding the vessel claimed a payment had been made.
Reuters quoted one of the pirates as saying the cash had been received and the gang had left to avoid government forces.
The all Bangladeshi crew of 23 seafarers on board have now been released along with the vessel, the pirate gang member told Reuters.
Reports in Bangladesh say the owner has confirmed the release and will host a press conference today.
The hijacking took place 1,111 km north-east of Mogadishu and the crew on board were quickly subjected to severe threats.
As TradeWinds reported at the time, one of the crew had been quoted as saying if the pirates were not paid, they had been ordered to kill the seafarers one by one.
