Bangladesh troops kill pirates, free abducted fishermen

KHULNA, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Bangladesh security forces killed five pirates in a gun battle and freed 11 abducted fishermen on Tuesday, officials said.

A pirate was wounded in the shootout and arrested. Guns and ammunition were seized and seven fishing boats recovered from the hideout in Bangladesh's part of Sundarbans mangrove forests.

The fishermen were abducted by the pirates in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday and the pirates had been demanding 100,000 taka ($1,500) in ransom.

Pirates often abduct fishermen and demand a ransom.

The Sundarbans is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the Royal Bengal tiger. The mangrove swamps a divided between Bangladesh and India's eastern state of West Bengal.