|
Hargeysa, Somaliland, February 14, 2009 –
The Somaliland National guard based in the city of Berbera apprehended 7
Somalia pirates from the Somali state of Puntland - the pirates were
believed to be highly armed and were planning carrying out attacks in
the Gulf of Aden through the red sea shipping lines.
The Somaliland national guard successfully halt their nasty operations,
after the special Coast guard forces received a tip from the Somaliland
intelligence agency, the Puntland men have been followed for weeks
before their arrests were made in Somaliland waters.
'We caught these men along with seven assault rifles in a house in
Daaroole District in Berbera as they were planning to engage in piracy
in the waters of Somaliland,' police chief General Mohamed Saqadi Dubad
told reporters in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland.
The Somaliland police chief of Sahil region Col. Yacqub said they were
carrying out more investigation and that the coast guards have seized a
substantial cache of arms and equipment, including AK-47 assault rifles,
a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and other weapons.
This is the third time that Somaliland coast guards have successfully
arrested pirates from Puntland and brought them in front of the court.
It is possible that Somaliland has secret informer(s) within the piracy
industry.
In recent months, more than 14 countries have converged 20 warships on
the gulf of Aden to fight Somali pirates and this has driven the pirates
from their usual hot spots to other parts of the region - it is possible
now they will try to attack ships in Somaliland, Djibouti and Eritrean
coast.
Source: The Somaliland Times and Agencies
|
