A European Union naval spokesman says pirates have freed a Malaysian tugboat they held for more than seven months, AP reported. Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Auwermann says the Somali pirates released Masindra 7 on Saturday. He says the master of the tugboat told a German navy vessel that all crew members are in good health. Auwermann said Sunday that Masindra 7 is sailing to Male, the capital of Maldives. The tugboat belongs to a Malaysian company, Masindra Shipping Pvt. Ltd. It was seized in mid-December. Frequent attacks by Somali pirates have prompted the EU and various countries to send vessels to patrol the Gulf of Aden, which is one of the world's busiest waterways. The pirates currently hold around a dozen ships.
