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Crew yet to decide whether to stay on ship

Zhe Sri Lankan crew of the "Aris 13" after having been rescued from Somali pirates on March 17 was yet to decide whether they would continue to work on the ship or return home. Since they were able to drop off their cargo of oil at Djibouti, they wre yet to decide on whether they would come home or not. They would also have to wait for another crew to take over before they can be released from the ship. The "Aris 13" was escorted on March 17 by a French warship and Somalian marine forces to Bossaso.

Captured tanker released without ransom

The pirates have released the "Aris 13" and its eight crew members following the shootout on March 16 without having received a ransom. After the shooting negotiations had taken place, and the Puntland maritime police was withdrawn as a consequence. The hijackers then left the ship, which now headed to Bosaso. The crew told that there had been nearly 70 pirates on board.

Four said to have been injured in clash between pirates and naval troops

Somali pirates aboard the "Aris 13" opened fire March 16 on naval troops from the semiautonomous state of Puntland, sparking clashes between the two sides. The clashes started after naval forces tried to stop a boat carrying reinforcement pirates to the ship. The pirates on board the tanker opened fire, and the pirate boat escaped. Puntland dispatched naval forces to the area after the pirates seized the ship. One soldier was seriously injured in the fight. The pirates on the ship were continuing to receive reinforcements while regional forces mobilizing nearby in an effort to free the ship. The pirates moved the ship away from the coast after naval forces approached.