The hijacked Bermuda-registered freighter MV Talca has been released by Somali pirates after a ransom was allegedly paid, Reuters reported today.

Reuters said the ship, which was seized on March 23 while en route to Iran from Egypt, was now en route to an unknown destination and the the crew of 23 Sri Lankans, one Filipino and one Syrian were believed to be safe.

Andrew Mwangura, head of the East Africa Seafarers’ Assistance Programme, told Reuters he believed there had been no “quarrels” during nearly two months of negotiations.

“We received $2.5 million and freed the ship, which has a dead weight of 11,055 tonnes, late last night. It sailed away and the crew were so happy,” a pirate who called himself Ali told Reuters from the pirate haven of Bargal, Somalia. It was not immediately possible to verify the ransom claim, Reuters said.

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