Yemeni Ministry of Interior announced on Monday that it has arrested four suspected Somali pirates in Soqatra Island, southeast of the Yemeni province of Hadramout.

‏A senior security officer said today in a press release that the secuirty forces detained the four suspects while they were at Samaha island in Qalansia. The Somalis were diving with full diving gear.

‏He said that the four suspects are aged between 26 and 40 years old. They were refered to prosecution for further interrorgation, afterwards.

‏The security official noted that Yemeni Coast Guards (YCG) was notified today that a number of Yemeni fishermen were attacked, shot at, and chased by Somali pirates in the Al-Gaitha city, the provincial capital of Al-Mahara province.

‏The Coast Guards have been given the green light to deal with the pirates decisevly in order to deter such attacks.

‏Piracy in the Arab Sea and Gulf of Aden has dealt a blow to the Yemeni maritime activities. Many ships which used to transit in Yemen's ports have diverted their destination to other place because they are not safe from piracy in the Yemeni territorial waters.

‏They piracy thrived around Yemeni coasts, taking an advantage of the very weak navy.

‏Eight captured Yemeni fishermen were set free early this month by Spanish military ship after they were taken as prisoners by Somali pirates.