Navy frees 6 Somalis seized after pirate shooting

[March 25, 2010]  NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- The EU Naval Force says it has freed six Somalis seized after their companion was shot dead by a private security contractor during an alleged attempt to hijack a ship off the East African coast.

Cmdr. John Harbour says that the navy had to release the six men after the captain of the MV Almezaan said he could not identify the men detained by the Spanish navy as the group of pirates who attacked him.

One of the suspected pirates died after men aboard the Almezaan opened fire while waiting for help from a warship.

Legal experts say the incident illustrated the lack of regulation for a growing army of private security contractors working onboard ships. Piracy has flourished off the coast of Somalia, which has not had a functioning government in 19 years.

[Associated Press]

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