 DHAKA - At least 15 pirates were killed and five Bangladeshi law enforcers wounded in gun battles in southern Bangladesh, police said on Wednesday. The clashes occurred Tuesday as police and coastguards pursued up to 50 bandits who had boarded two trawlers in the Meghna river close to the Bay of Bengal. The pirates opened fire after being challenged, slightly injuring three police officers and two coastguards, Assistant Superintenent of Police Bimol Kumar Das told AFP.
| "Yar, give em a broadside, me hearties!" |
Four pirates wounded in the shootings were arrested while the bodies of those killed fell overboard and were washed away by currents, he said. Bangladeshi waters are among the most pirate-infested in the world, according to the International Maritime Bureau. |