Athens - Somali pirates released Friday a Greek bulk carrier with 26 crew members on board which they hijacked more than two months ago, reports said.

The ship, MV Centauri, carrying salt, was en route from Ethiopia to Kenya when it was attacked by five pirates on September 18 off Somalia before it was due to discharge
17,000 tons of bulk salt.

The ship was reportedly released and is now sailing towards Mombasa port.

The details of the ransom paid to Somali pirates was not known.

Piracy off the Horn of Africa nation has surged in recent months as Somalia descends further into chaos and the ineffectual central government continues to squabble rather than govern.

According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), there have been almost 100 attempts at piracy in the region this year, around 40 per cent of them successful.

Around 17 ships are in the hands of pirates along with over 300 crew members, including Saudi supertanker the Sirius Star, which was carrying 100 million dollars worth of crude oil when it was taken.

The surge in piracy has prompted increased patrols by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia, the US-led coalition forces, India and France along the Somali coast.

The European Union has also authorized a force of between five and seven frigates, which is expected to arrive in the Gulf of Aden early December. (dpa)