Sana'a, Yemen - Eight Somali pirates have abandoned a Yemeni cargo ship after negotiations with Somali tribal leaders, but two other pirates were still on board the ship Monday, the ship's owner said.

"Eight pirates have already left the ship after tribal dignitaries convinced them to do so," Attas Salim Aboud told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

He said the two other pirates who were still holding the ship's crew hostage and would likely leave the vessel within the next few hours.

Eight crew members - three Yemenis, three Somalis and two Tanzanians - were taken hostage by the pirates.

"The two pirates are from a different tribe than the eight who left, and their families and tribe leaders are in contact with them to press on them to leave," he said.

Attas said no ransom was paid to the pirates who left the ship separately during the past two days.

The ship, Erina, was attacked as it sailed from the south-eastern Yemeni port city of Mukalla to the Indian Ocean island of Socotra on November 19.

It is now off the Eyl port, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region in northern Somalia.

The vessel is carrying 570 tons of steel and construction equipment belonging to the Juraiba and Bin-Makhzoum Construction company in Mukalla.

The Somali pirates have demanded 2 million dollars in ransom for the release of the ship, but the owner, who is a Yemeni national of Somali origin, has said he would not pay any ransom. (dpa)