Somali troops on Wednesday rescued eight Indians who had
been taken hostage two days earlier by pirates near the coastal town of Hobyo,
officials said.
“Our forces have on Wednesday morning rescued eight Indian
crew who had been held hostage by Somali pirates in El Hur area,” the Hobyo police
chief, Bashir Elmi, said. “We have also arrested four pirates in the
operation.”
Somali pirates have waylaid several ships in the past month,
raising fears that piracy has regained a hold in the Indian Ocean. The
resurgence has been attributed to several causes, including drought, famine,
corruption, a surge of smuggled weapons and the influence of the Islamic State
militant group.
The recent attacks, including the hijacking of an oil tanker
in March, are believed to have been carried out by buccaneers from central
Somalia or Puntland, a semiautonomous region in the country’s northeast.
According to Chief Elmi, the hostages were taken after a
clash on Monday between Somali forces and pirates over the Indian boat MSV Al
Kausar. The pirates withdrew but took the eight hostages, leaving behind two
other crew members.
“All the crew, including the captain, are now safe and
healthy,” said Abdullahi Ahmed Ali, the mayor of Hobyo, who is also known as
Abdullahi Fat.
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