Nairobi, May 23  : Somali pirates have released MV Victoria, a cargo ship, they abducted on May 17 off the Somalia coast .

About a dozen crew members from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tanzania are now free, said a maritime official.

Regional seafarers official Andrew Mwangura said that the ship was released on Friday at 12:50 pm local time (1520 IST). It is now travelling with a handful of Somali soldiers on board to ensure its safe passage.

It is now heading towards the Somali capital of Mogadishu to offload its cargo, said Mwangura, the head of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program.

There have been conflicting reports whether the ship carries humanitarian aid or commercial cargo. (ANI)