Gulf | Oman
Tug boat sent to bring MV Suez to Salalah
Egyptian vessel released by pirates after 10 months after a ransom of $2.1 millions was paid
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Oman Bureau Chief
- Published: 23:21 June 18, 2011
Muscat: A tug boat has been sent from Salalah to bring MV Suez to Salalah Port, a representative for the Egyptian sea vessels handling agency in Oman told Gulf News Saturday.
MV Suez was released by Somali pirates last Thursday after a ransom of $2.1 millions was paid. The ransom money was raised by a trust run by the Pakistani philanthropist Ansar Burney.
The MV SUEZ with deadweight 17,300 tonnes was taken over by Somali pirates in August last year. The Panama flagged merchant vessel was taking a cargo of cement bags at the time of being taken hostage.
The ship captained by Pakistani Wassi Hassan has a crew of 22, including six Indians, four Pakistanis, one Sri Lankan and 11 Egyptian nationals.
The ship (MV Suez) has run out of fuel and efforts are on to bring it to Salalah Port by Monday evening, a representative of handling agents GAC Shipping told Gulf News over the phone from Salalah. The ship is being escorted to Salalah Port by Pakistan naval vessel PNS Babur.
According to sources, the crew will be taken to Muscat from where they will fly home. Ansar Burney, played a key role in negotiations with the pirates to free hostages, is also likely to come to Oman to receive the crew of MV Suez.
Meanwhile, the MV Suez escorting to Salalah Port after the released has triggered a war of words between sub-continent neighbours India and Pakistan.
Indian naval vessel INS Godavari was also in the same water and offered to provide security cover to the Egyptian ship as it sailed to Salalah.
Pakistan has claimed that the Indian Navy Ship Godavari not only hampered the humanitarian operations being carried out by Pakistan Navy Ship Babur, but also undertook dangerous manoeuvres during the course of the incident.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office and carried by Pakistani media said Pakistan had lodged a protest with the Indian government on an incident that occurred while MC Suez was provided with security cover.
The exact location of the incident, however, was not mentioned in the statement released by Pakistan's Foreign Office. "It [incident] resulted in the brushing of the sides of INS Godavari and PNS Babur," the statement said.
The Indian government has said that the Indian Navy had coordinated with other navies in the region for providing security cover to the Egyptian merchant vessel MV Suez, released by the Somali pirates.
Speaking to media, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said the ship was being escorted towards Oman by warships of Coalition Task Force including Pakistani ship PNS Babar.
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