MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somali pirates hijacked a Chinese fishing vessel off the coast of northeastern Somalia’s Puntland state, the Chinese Embassy in Mogadishu said Tuesday.
“With the unremitting efforts of all parties concerned, the vessel and its crew were safely rescued on 2nd March,” the embassy said in a statement.
“The Chinese side strongly condemns this blatantly vicious action which threatened the safety of the crew and international navigation security, and will continue to take all necessary means to resolutely safeguard the lawful rights of Chinese citizens and enterprises overseas as well as work with relevant parties to ensure the international navigation security,” it added.
The embassy said it held extensive consultations with Somalia’s federal government and authorities in Puntland following the incident, which it said occurred recently without specifying a date.
It also confirmed that the hijacked vessel, along with all Chinese fishing vessels operating in Somali waters, is licensed by the Somali federal government and operates in compliance with state regulations.
The incident comes amid a sharp increase in piracy off Puntland’s coast in recent months, despite the presence of international anti-piracy naval patrols in Somali waters and the neighboring Gulf of Aden.
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