Amman -  Pirates have released the Jordan-flagged ship Victoria which was seized off the Somali coast last week, Jordanian Transport Minister Alaa Batayneh said Saturday.

"The Danish authorities have informed Jordanian maritime officials that the vessel's crew are in good health," Batayneh said.

The ship's crew, numbering around a dozen, included Pakistanis, Indians, Tanzanians and Bangladeshis, he added.

The seizure of the ship on May 17 has been followed up by the Danish embassy in Mogadishu in compliance with an agreement reached earlier between Jordan and Denmark to provide protection for Somalia- destined Jordan-flagged ships.

The vessel, which is owned by a United Arab Emirates firm, was seized by pirates off the Somali coast while it was carrying 4,200 tons of sugar as Danish humanitarian aid to the war-stricken Mogadishu inhabitants. (dpa)