The maritime force commander in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, Abdullahi Mohamed Ahmed, said the number of patrols in the waters had been doubled and put on a 24-hour rotation to prevent piracy.
“We are facing many challenges now. In the past we dealt with pirates and prevented their activities, but recently, in addition to al-Shabab and IS, we have to be on guard against them again,” he said.
Somali Coast Guard patrols the Red Sea on November 30. Photo: AP
The US military said on Sunday it had captured five men who were trying to hijack an Israeli-linked oil tanker off the coast of Yemen.
Armed attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, operated by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the US and British militaries said. A statement from the US military's Central Command said the pirates tried to escape by speedboat but surrendered after being pursued by the US destroyer USS Mason.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have carried out recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden, seen as part of a surge in violence in the region sparked by the Israel-Hamas war. But the Pentagon said the latest attacks were carried out by Somali pirates.
It was the first such incident in years and has prompted Somali authorities to call for international help to prevent a resurgence of piracy in the Horn of Africa.
Somalia has been plagued by piracy for years, peaking in 2011, when the United Nations said more than 160 attacks were recorded off the Somali coast. However, incidents have dropped significantly since then, in part due to the presence of the US and allied navies in international waters.
Mai Anh (according to AP)
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