TEHRAN (Tasnim) � A group of 18 Pakistani fishermen, who were detained in Iran earlier over trespassing the country�s territorial waters, have been released, a report said.

Pakistan�s Deputy Commissioner Gwadar Tufail Ahmed Baloch said the fishermen had been arrested on Sunday and were released after negotiations with relevant Iranian authorities in the southern city of Chabahar.

He added that they were released at the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, GEO News reported.

Iranian Navy forces monitor all movements of foreign ships that can pass through the Persian Gulf and the country's territorial waters round the clock.

In line with international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships owned or leased by Iran.

By Tasnim News Agency