NEW DELHI: Japanese vessel MT Stolt Valor, that had been hijacked near the Gulf of Aden on September 15 with 22 crew, including 18 Indians, on board, was released on Sunday. The Stolt Valor crew also had one Bangladeshi, two Filipinos and one Russian. Chairman of NSFA said that all crew members are safe. Seema Goyal, wife of captain Prabhat Goyal onboard the ship, is said to have received the information from the company which owns the ship. Initial reports suggested that the demands of the pirates were met after prolonged negotiations. The Japanese company reportedly paid the ransom to the pirates. Soon after this news, Seema Goyal, who has been crusading for the early release of the Indians on board said, "I am so happy today. Finally the wait is over. I received a call from the company and Japanese officials today morning and they informed me that the pirates have released the ship, which was held in captive for over 2 months now." She further added, "The ship is on its way to Mumbai and will be around in the next 3-4 days. I am looking forward to the Indians coming back home. Meanwhile, I would like to thank TIMES NOW for supporting me and also all those who prayed for the early release." The seafarers on board MT Stlot Valor were held hostage by the pirates, who hijacked the cargo ship on September 15. The ship is owned by a Japanese company and managed by Fleet Marine Ltd in Mumbai. The hijackers had initially demanded a ransom of $6m for the release of the crew.
BAGHDAD: Nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives started shifting to southern Afghanistan."We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban."We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.
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