Freed weapons ship leaves Somalia

A merchant ship carrying tanks and other heavy weapons was sailing away from the coast of Somalia today after being held by pirates for more than four months.

The MV Faina’s captain, Viktor Nikolsky, said the vessel was heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa but refused to give further details.

Capt Nikolsky estimated yesterday that it would take three to four days to reach Mombasa.

The Ukrainian-registered MV Faina had been anchored near the central Somalia coastal town of Hobyo since pirates captured it on September 25. They released the ship on Thursday after receiving a $3.2m (€2.4m) ransom.

The seizure was one of the most brazen acts in a surge of attacks on ships off the Somali coast.