Malaysia hijacked oil tanker released

Malaysia navy and maritime officials said on Friday that the Orkim Harmony was being escorted by the navy back to Malaysia's Kuantan Port. One of the 22 crew was injured with a gunshot wound during the hijacking.

Malaysia's Chief of Navy Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the Malaysian naval vessel shadowing the tanker in Vietnamese waters on Thursday had tried to persuade the hijackers to surrender.

On Friday, the Orkim Harmony had been redirected to Indonesia's Natuna Island, where it was expected to arrive on Saturday.

Three Malaysian navy ships and two aircraft were hunting the eight pirates.

The 7,300-tonne oil tanker was seized on June 11 off the Malaysia coast by the pirates who were reportedly carrying pistols and machetes.

During the hijacking, the pirates repainted the ship's name to 'Kim Harmon.