Puntland authorities have warned that pirates operating off the region’s coast have links to criminal networks in Yemen, as piracy incidents increase off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.
Mohamed Jama, commander of the Puntland Coast Guard, said Monday that pirate groups are now capable of carrying out attacks far from the Somali coast using fast boats and weapons, including anti-aircraft guns and missiles.
Puntland’s warning comes amid a rise in pirate attacks off Somalia’s coast and in the Gulf of Aden, with more incidents recorded this year than in recent years.
At least five vessels are currently being held off the coast of Puntland, according to regional authorities and maritime reports. Pirates have demanded ransoms worth millions of dollars.
Reports also indicate that pirates have sometimes used previously captured vessels as bases to launch new attacks off Somalia’s coast.