The government has assured to the protesting family of 17 sailors, being held hostage by Somali pirates for the past nine months, that it would continue its efforts to ensure their release. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he hopes for the best for the sailors.

Mr Khurshid's reaction came as the family members held a protest outside the Shipping Ministry on Parliament Street in New Delhi on Tuesday. They demanded immediate release of the sailors, who have been held captive by pirates of the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia.