Fishermen held by Somali pirates still in danger

SANA'A, Nov. 16 (Saba) - Secretary general of the Fish Union Ali
Hassan Buhaider has called on the coastguards and international
forces in the Arab Sea to release a Yemeni boat along with 33
fishermen aboard that was hijacked by Somali pirates off Socotra
island last Wednesday.

The raynews.net reported that a group of Somali pirates attacked the
boat, so-called Alzaeemah, along with three other small fiber glass
boats while fishing near the Somali Banana area.

Seven pirates assaulted one of the fiber glass boats and took five
fishermen on board to Somali land, and they used the small boat
to reach the Alzaeemah aiming at using it for piracy acts.

The pirates used the other fishermen ,28, as human shields while
exercising piracy acts.

Buhaider said the union had submitted a notice to the Fisheries
ministry, the Coastguard Authority and the Foreign ministry urging
them to release the Alzaeemah, amid fears its crew may be in danger
either from the pirates or international forces.

The five fishermen who were put at Somali land are now available at
the Somali deputy at the Boosaaso port.

The authorities were aware about the incident through them.
FR