Ship hijacked off Somalia back at port

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA — The captain of the crew of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that was hijacked and then released by Somali pirates said he feels like he was “dead and born,” after the ship reached a port in northern Somalia.

Nicholas Anthony said Sunday he is grateful for efforts by the semiautonomous Puntland state in northern Somalia to secure their release. He gave no details about their captivity or how their freedom was secured.

The ship, which had a crew of eight Sri Lankans, docked at the port of Bossaso, the region’s commercial hub, under heavy security by local naval forces who boarded the ship after pirates released it as a result of negotiations with local elders and regional authorities.