UAE releases Qatari boat and sailors detained last week

The UAE has released a Qatari naval vessel and four sailors who were held for nearly a week amid an ongoing boycott of Doha by Abu Dhabi and regional allies Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt.

The Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement that the vessel and crew had returned safely.

"The boat was carrying out routine drills in Qatari territorial waters and (suffered) a technical malfunction, and it drifted towards UAE territorial waters," the statement said.

Doha's statement added that the boat was seized by the Emiratis on 30 April.

The crew of the boat consisted of four military men, two Qataris, one Palestinian and one Indian.

The release was confirmed in a statement by the UAE foreign ministry.

Abu Dhabi and its allies cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017, imposing an economic and transport blockade.

They accused Qatar of backing extremist groups and collaborating with Iran, although Doha strongly denies the charges by the blockading parties.