Dutch marines kill 2 pirates off Somali coast

Mike Corder -

Dutch marines killed two pirates and captured 16 others during an operation to free a hijacked Iranian fishing boat off the coast of Somalia, the DefenseMinistry said Monday.

The deadly firefight marked the first time Dutch forces have killed suspected pirates while patrolling the Gulf of Aden as part of an international anti-piracy flotilla.

Marines from the frigate HMS Tromp opened fire on the pirates on the hijacked Iranian boat Sunday after they sot at two Dutch inflatable speedboats sent to investigate the fishing vessel, the ministry said.

Ten suspected pirates were captured as they tried to flee in a high-speed skiff and six more were detained on the fishing boat.

The bodies of two suspected pirates killed in the firefight also were recoverd on the vessel. They were taken back to the Tromp for examination before being disposed at sea.

"They were entrusted to the water," said Defense Ministry spokeswoman Marloes Visser.

"Given the temperatures there, you have to take a decision quickly," she said. "It is not practical to keep two bodes on board."

Visser said the pirates, some of whom were wounded in the shooting, were being questioned on board the Tromp. The injured were receiving medical treatment, but it was unclear if the captives would be taken anywhere for trial.

"It is not yet clear what will happen next. Prosecutors will have to decide," Visser told The Associated Press.

Wim de Bruin of the national prosecutor's office said Monday he had no information on the case.

Even as Dutch marines searched the Iranian dhow, another group of pirates approached, apparently intent on hijacking the boat, the Defense Ministry statement said. The crew of the Tromp fired warning shots to force the second group of pirates to flee.

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