New Delhi:
11 Indians captured along with their ship have been freed by Somali pirates, after being held hostage for 11 months.
The sailors on ship RAK Africana were picked up by a Spanish naval ship in vicinity (They are) safe," Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said on Twitter, noting that the negotiations for release of the Indians were "delicate" and "prolonged".
However, anxiety mounted today about the fate of 79 Indian sailors abducted by Somali pirates from an Egyptian ship as the deadline set for the execution of eight of the hostages expired today.
The concern over the plight and safety of the 79 Indians on board the Egyptian cargo vessel MV Suez, hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 2 last year was voiced in the Lok Sabha when the Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj raised the issue during Zero Hour.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna assured the House that the government was doing everything possible for their release. "We are doing all that we can. We are in touch with the ship owners. We are depending upon ship owners, as is done in most cases, to negotiate with the pirates," he said.
Not satisfied with the response, Swaraj led a walkout of BJP, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal members charging the government with showing "helplessness" in the matter.