Bangladesh: Pirates kill 3 fishermen, say police

Cox's Bazar: Police in southern Bangladesh say they have recovered the bodies of three fishermen believed to be killed by pirates in the Bay of Bengal.

Police official Abul Kalam said the decomposing bodies washed up to the shore on Monday near Kutubidia channel off Cox's Bazar coast.

He says coast guard officials are searching for another 28 fishermen who have been missing since March 23 when pirates reportedly seized two fishing trawlers with 31 people on board.

Dhaka's Kaler Kantha daily quoted local fishermen as saying they had spotted at least 20 decomposing bodies floating in the area, 200 kilometers (185 miles) south of the capital Dhaka.

Pirate attacks off the Bangladesh coast are common.