76 Somali prisoners freed from Indian jails return home

By Hassan Istiila

MOGADISHU, Somalia

A total of 76 Somali nationals, who had been in Indian jails over piracy-related offenses, returned to their homeland on Sunday.

The returnees were welcomed at the Mogadishu International Airport by Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled Khadar and other government officials.

The prisoners smiled and some of them kneeled to kiss the soil as they got off the plane.

Khadar said the released prisoners were the last in Indian jails; the total number was 120 and 41 were released in January.

Two prisoners had died in the prison.

All the prisoners were freed after dialogue between the two countries.