AMMAN, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Somali pirates have released the MV Victoria, a Jordanian-flagged ship owned by a company of United Arab Emirates, which was hijacked on May 17 off the Somali coast, Jordanian Minister of Transport Alaa Batayneh told local daily the Jordan Times on Saturday.

    "We have been informed by the ship's owner, Marwan Shipping and Trading Company, that the ship and its crew and cargo were released on Friday," he said, adding that he was unaware of any deal with the pirates on the ship's release.

    The vessel is now voyaging with a handful of Somali soldiers onboard to ensure its safe arrival to the destination of Mogadishu, capital of Somali, according to its owners.

    The ship was reported missing on May 17, after communication with the vessel was cut in the morning while it was making its way from India to Mogadishu.

    Piracy is rampant on Somali waters, making it one of the most dangerous shipping zones in the world. Last month, a draft resolution was submitted to the UN Security Council, urging maritime powers to fight piracy off Somali coast and authorizing them to arrest pirates there.