Somali pirates release Greek ship: pirate

BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Somali pirates have released a Greek ship they captured a couple of months ago after receiving a $1.9 million ransom, one pirate told Reuters on Saturday.

"My friends have released the Greek ship after $1.9 million ransom was paid," said Hussein, a pirate. He could not give the name of the ship.

"My friends are now getting off the ship and it will soon sail away."

Earlier this month, a sea gang operating off Somalia's coast grabbed a Greek merchant marine, the MV Irene E.M., with 22 Filipino crew members.

They also seized the Greek-owned Nipayiya on March 25. The Panama-registered ship was taken 450 miles from Somalia's south coast.

On Saturday pirates hijacked the 31,000-tonne German grain carrier Patriot and its crew of 17 in the Gulf of Aden.

(Reporting by Abdiqani Hassan, writing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura)