France return dead pirates to Somali region

BOSASSO, Somalia, June 1 — The French navy handed two dead and two captured pirates to authorities in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland today, but confusion persisted over how best to deal with the sea gangs.
Foreign warships have been deployed off the coast of the lawless Horn of Africa state since the turn of the year to try to prevent the piracy that has flourished in the busy Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean shipping lanes.International law is far from clear on the subject, and some captured pirates have been disarmed and set free; others have been taken to France, Kenya and even the United States; while others have been handed over to Puntland.The northern region of Somalia says it zealously prosecutes and tries pirates, though some analysts accuse senior Puntland officials of complicity with the gangs.“The French navy handed two dead bodies and two pirates over to us this morning,” Puntland’s security minister, Abdullahi Said Samatar, told Reuters.He said the pirates were killed and captured respectively by an Indian warship while trying to hijack a ship in the Gulf of Aden, but were then handed over go the French navy.
It was not clear when the incident took place.
Pirates have captured nearly 30 ships in waters off Somalia so far this year, nearing their record haul of 40 in 2008.They hold nearly 300 hostages, and have been releasing ships for ransoms of millions of dollars. — Reuters