NAIROBI (Reuters) – A 31,000-tonne German grain carrier seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden last month has been released, a Kenyan maritime official said on Tuesday.

“The Patriot is free,” said Andrew Mwangura, director of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.

The Malta-flagged, German-owned MV Patriot belongs to Patriot Schiffahrts and is managed by Blumenthal JMK of Hamburg, Germany. It was seized with 17 crew on board.

There was no immediate information on whether a ransom had been paid, or the health of the crew members.

Pirate attacks off the eastern African coast have escalated in recent weeks despite the presence of a flotilla of foreign navy warships in the region.

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