Explosion on Ship off Somalia Coast
Flames seen rising from vessel after blast; port residents believe vessel may be foreign. A huge explosion was heard from a ship off the coast of Somalia's Puntland region late on Monday and flames were seen rising from what might be a foreign vessel, an official in a nearby port said. "We heard (a) huge explosion and (saw) flame rising from the ship. I believe that the ship is foreign," Ali Shire, mayor of Puntland's port town of Alula, a pirate haven, told Reuters on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear whether the explosion was caused by an accident onboard the vessel or was triggered by pirate attackers. It was also not clear whether the vessel was still afloat or had sunk.
Cargo Ship Mistakenly Thought Pirates Boarding
Eritrean forces in the Red Sea have boarded a merchant vessel that was in their territorial waters in an incident the crew initially reported as a pirate attack, reports Reuters. It was not immediately clear why the forces boarded the ship, the MV Marzooqah, and it was not possible to contact authorities in Eritrea, one of Africa's most isolated nations. Reuters quotes Lieutenant Commander Jacqueline Sherriff, spokeswoman for the European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) as saying that the vessel was thought by them now to in the hands of the Eritrean forces.
Counter Piracy Commander Warns of Continuing Threat
The Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, has issued a renewed warning that Somali pirates are still determined to get out to sea and, if presented with an easy target, will attack. “I am very concerned that seafarers and nations will lower their guard and support for counter piracy operations in the belief that the piracy threat is over. It is not; it is merely contained," he said. "We should remember that at its height in January 2011, 32 ships were pirated by Somali pirates and 736 hostages were held.
