Bartamaha___Somali pirates have shot dead two Sri Lankan fishermen and taken three others hostage after their fishing boat strayed accidentally into Somali waters, Sri Lanka’s fisheries ministry announced Monday.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said the pirates attacked the fishing vessel on January 27, adding that the pirates threw the bodies of two fishermen overboard after shooting them dead.
The ministry received information about the incident from a radar communication made by the three fishermen who are currently being held hostage by the pirates. The pirates are yet to make any ransom demands.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government said the families of the fishermen have been informed about the incident, and added that it had launched diplomatic efforts to trace the hostages and the hijacked fishing vessel.
Somalia’s coastline, particularly the Gulf of Aden, has been infected with piracy in recent years. Pirates are presently believed to be holding 29 vessels and 693 hostages off the Somali coast. The incidents mostly end with payment of ransom after lengthy negotiations, but generally without any fatalities.
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Source:-Rttnews.
