NewsThe Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued a statement thanking those involved in negotiating the release of the ‘Aris 13’ oil tanker, manned by eight Sri Lankans. The statement is as follows:The Ministry is pleased to announce that the vessel ‘Aris 13’ that was hijacked by pirates was released late last night/ early this morning (16-17 March Sri Lankan time) along with the eight Sri Lankan crew. The crew members were released unharmed, without the payment of a ransom. This task would not have been made possible without their unstinted and active effort. Ministry of Foreign AffairsColombo17 March 2017

Source: Sunday Times March 17, 2017 09:11 UTC