Somali Pirates to Release Chinese Ship

Somali pirates say they will release a Chinese cargo ship seized two months ago far off the coast of Somalia.

Pirates say they have reached agreement to receive a ransom of nearly $4 million, and will free the carrier De Xin Hai and its crew in the coming hours.

The 25 crewmen on board are said to be safe. The pirates initially threatened to kill the entire crew if China's navy attempted to rescue them. The Chinese cargo ship was seized in mid-October in the Indian Ocean, some 650 kilometers northeast of the Seychelles islands and about 1,300 kilometers off Somalia's east coast.

This was Somali pirates' first hijacking of a Chinese freighter since Beijing deployed three warships to combat piracy off the lawless Horn of Africa nation.