RIYADH (AFP) — Iran has released five Saudi Arabian fishing boats and their Indian crews which had strayed into Iranian waters, Saudi border officials said Saturday.
The move followed the freeing earlier this week by Saudi authorities of two Iranian vessels which had entered the kingdom's territorial waters.
"Iran on Thursday released five vessels which were held for two weeks after they entered Iranian territorial waters," said General Abdurrahman al-Brahim, head of the Saudi border guard in the Eastern Province.
The boats returned to port in Darin, on the Saudi east coast and the 22 Indian crew members were questioned about how the incident occurred, he told AFP.
Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday it had released two Iranian fishing boats which strayed into its waters and said it hoped the gesture would lead Iran to do the same with the Saudi vessels.
Iranian news agency Fars said on July 3 that Tehran had seized the fishing boats in territorial waters near its first nuclear power plant which is currently under construction in Bushehr.
In June 2007, Iran arrested the crew of three Emirati boats it had seized for illegal entry and fishing in its territorial waters.
In March 2007, Iranian naval forces seized 15 British sailors and marines in the Gulf, claiming they had entered Iran's territorial waters but Britain insisted they had been engaged in anti-smuggling operations in Iraqi waters.
The group was freed after two weeks.
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