Eight Indian hostages held by Somali pirates freed

They were taken ashore by pirates after they were chased off a hijacked ship earlier

Somalia security forces on Wednesday freed eight Indian sailors who had been taken ashore by pirates after they were chased off a hijacked ship earlier this week, a coast guard official said.

"The eight hostages were freed without fighting. The security forces overwhelmingly besieged them and the pirates tried to flee, but three of them were captured," Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, deputy commander of the maritime force in Somalia's Galmudug state said.