The 16 Somali pirates, apprehended by maritime forces on March 26, had killed a Pakistani hostage when the anti-piracy operation was on, 400 nautical miles off Lakshadweep Islands, the police said on Tuesday.
When the forces intercepted the vessel, the pirates put up a fight and killed the Pakistani, to strike fear among the other hostages. Deputy police commissioner (port zone) Quaiser Khalid said, "The pirates raised their hands to signal surrender after retaliatory fire by the INS Suvarna. However, they opened fire as the naval ship approached the Iranian trawler. They jumped into a small boat when their vessel caught fire, but continued to open fire, before jumping into the sea."
An Iranian hostage was also killed by the pirates, few days after the hijack of the Iranian trawler Al-Mortoza, which was being used as the mother ship for piracy operations, near Seychelles in November 2010. "There were 18 hostages, including five Pakistanis and 13 Iranians on board the Al-Mortaza," he said. The pirates, who were handed over the Yellow Gate police by the Indian Navy on Tuesday, have been booked on charges of murder, under the arms act, unlawful activities (prevention) act and foreigners' act.
Of the Suleman clan, the pirates, with AK-47 automatic machine guns and rocket launchers, had also hijacked the Al-Khalil, a fishing trawler from Iran. The joint operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard was carried out after a distress call from the MV Maersk Kensington around 11 am on March 26.
Source: The India Times
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