Egypt Announces Release of 8 Sailors Kidnapped Off Somali Coast

Cairo, Sept 30 (KUNA) -- The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced on Wednesday that eight Egyptian sailors, who had been kidnapped aboard a ship off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, since May 2, have been released. The ministry said in a statement that this development came following directives from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and through the continuous follow-up of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Egyptian Expatriates Dr. Badr Abdelatty, as well as high-level communications he held with Somali and Yemeni officials. The statement clarified that Abdelatty instructed the Egyptian Embassy in Mogadishu to receive the eight kidnapped sailors aboard the M/T Eureka, ensure their well-being, and facilitate their return to Egypt on the earliest available flight. (End) A.S.M./T.M.A