Pirates Attack Yacht off Somalia - Abduct Crew

Pirates have kidnapped four yachties, including a woman and a child, while they were in a small boat off the coast of Somalia's northern Puntland region on Monday. The four crew were seized near the coastal town of Lasqorey yesterday while they were reportedly taking photos from their small yacht (though other sources claim the yacht ran out of fuel). Pirates abducted the four, abandoned the boat on the shore, and are said to have taken the captives into the neighboring mountains.

Puntland senior presidential adviser Bile Mohamoud Qabowsade told AFP: "They were four tourists -- two men, a woman and a child. They were taken by pirates after they came close to the coastal area and we are trying to trace them by deploying our forces around the area,"

The four abducted tourists are reported to be a French skipper and a family of three German nationals, but this has not been confirmed. Reports from this part of the world are often unreliable, particularly from governmental sources.

Trade Minister Abdisamed Yusuf Abwan told the press that the region's troops were on standby, but urged the kidnappers to accept mediation to resolve this situation without bloodshed. "Our forces are following the kidnappers, but they will not take any action at the moment. We are giving a chance to local elders who are trying to end this incident peacefully," Abwan told AFP.

Abwan added "I hope they [the kidnappers] accept the mediation, otherwise we will take any suitable step to free the hostages."

As we know from events in recent months, Somalia's waters are among the most pirate infested in the world, and sailors are again warned against sailing close to land (stay off at least 200 miles). Numerous ships, mostly merchant vessels, have been hijacked, and their crews held for ransom off the Somali coast over the past year, including the French luxury yacht Le Ponant, where the crew of 30 were held hostage for a week.

- KH for YachtPals