3 suspected pirates, one policeman die in Guyana shootout

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Three suspected pirates and a policeman died Friday in a shootout in Guyana as the South American country struggles against piracy at sea, according to authorities. The three dead suspects were likely part of a gang accused of raiding fishing boats between Guyana and neighboring Suriname, police spokesman Ivelaw Whitaker said. They fired upon authorities who arrived in Corentyne to investigate piracy complaints, he said. Whitaker said one of the suspects killed was a former army officer recently charged with stealing guns. On Wednesday, the Coast Guard rescued five fishermen attacked by pirates who seized their vessel and set them adrift in a small boat. It is unclear whether that attack was perpetrated by the three suspects killed on Friday.