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Somali Pirates Free Taiwanese Fishing Boat


Taiwan's Foreign Ministry says Somali pirates have freed a Taiwanese fishing boat held since last April.

The Win Far 161 and its crew were released Thursday.

The French news agency, AFP, quotes a maritime monitoring group - Ecoterra International - as saying a ransom was paid, but the amount was not immediately clear.

The group also says three of the 30 crew members did not survive the ordeal. It says two Indonesians and one Chinese crew member died of malnutrition, disease and neglect during the last month.

The Taiwanese tuna trawler was seized April 6 of last year near the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

Somali pirates still hold at least seven ships and more than 160 crew members. Somalia has not had a functioning central government since 1991.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and dpa.

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