US transfers crew of captured Iranian ship to Pakistan

Al Jazeera - A spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM) has told the ABC broadcaster that crew members of the M/V Touska, which was captured in the Gulf of Oman last month, have been taken to Pakistan for repatriation to Iran.

“Today, US forces completed the transfer of 22 crew members of M/V Touska to Pakistan for repatriation,” Captain Tim Hawkins said.

“Custody of Touska is currently being transferred back to its original ownership after the ship was intercepted and seized when attempting to violate the US naval blockade against Iran last month,” he added.

The US captured the Iranian container ship on April 20 in an attack that Tehran called an act of “piracy”. According to CENTCOM, six other passengers on board the ship were transferred to an unspecified regional country for repatriation last week. The six are believed to be family members of the crew.