SOMALI PIRATES RELEASE DOZENS OF HOSTAGE SAILORS

Following more than four years in captivity, 26 Asian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates have been released, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday.

The sailors arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday and international mediators said the action marks a turning point in the long-fought battle against Somali piracy.

The crew, from Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, China and the Philippines, had been among the few hostages still in the hands of Somali pirates. The sailors were aboard the FV Naham 3, a Taiwan-owned fishing vessel seized in March 2012, said pirate representative Bile Hussein.