Thiruvananthapuram:
Five employees of Dubai-based 'Royal Grace' ship, who were held captive by Somalian pirates for the last one year, have been released, information received by the family of one of the hostages said today.
Mohanan Pillai, father of Manesh, said his son telephoned him to inform about the release of all the five Keralites and that they were now leading for Oman.
Pillai said his son did not convey any other detail about their release.
The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs had been persistently trying to secure the release of the five ostages in consultation with the Nigerian ship owner.
Manesh, Mithun (Palakkad), Stanley Vincent (Thrissur), Dibin Davis (Pathanamthitta) and Arjun (Thiruvananthapuram) were the five persons taken hostages by the pirates.