A South Korean sailor was released Tuesday nearly two weeks after a United Arab Emirates-registered oil tanker was hijacked off the coast of Cote d’Ivoire that led to a dramatic nighttime rescue mission by the Nigerian military, said Seoul’s Foreign Ministry.

The unidentified seaman was taken hostage on Feb. 11 along with 17 other crew members from China, India, Pakistan, Sudan and Ghana, the ministry said. The Panama-flagged Maximus, owned by a UAE company and on lease to a South Korean shipping firm, was reportedly carrying 4,700 tons of diesel fuel.

“After being kidnapped by pirates, the South Korean national safely returned to Lagos harbor with the vessel early Tuesday,” the agency said in a statement.

“During the operation, the Nigerian Navy rescued 16 crewmen and captured live some of the hijackers but others ran away with the other two hostages,” it added, citing Nigerian authorities. 

AP from Lagos reported that there were four attackers and two had escaped in a pirate ship, quoting Nigerian Rear Adm. Henry Babalola. The captives are believed to be Indian and Pakistani and no ransom demand has been delivered so far, it added, citing an Indian defense attache there.

“We tried diplomacy, but they refused to surrender ... Sailors stormed the ship when one pirate opened fire, taking special care because the vessel is highly flammable,” Babalola was quoted as saying, noting that the pirates had hand-painted a new name in white and denied it was the Maximus.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)