Somali pirates have released second Yemeni fishing boat, al-Qana'a, they had hijacked early in December off Somalia's coast along with another boat, Faluja, head of the Coastguards Ali Ahmed Rasi has said, according to Saba. 8 fishermen were onboard the boat when it arrived in the Aden port on January 1. The release of the al-Qana'a boat came almost a week after pirates released the other boat along with 10 fishermen. The two boats were seized by Somali pirates while fishing in the international waters off the Somali coast. Somali pirates attacked 25 fishermen onboard the two boats, but seven could manage to escape. Coastguards became aware of the incident through those who could escape. The boats were released without ransoms, Rasi said. The pirates captured the two boats to use them for carrying out pirate attacks against vessels and merchant ships which pass through the Gulf of Aden. Piracy has been active in recent months with more than 100 vessels attacked in the last year so far.
