TWO BOATS MISSING IN WESTERN YEMEN

HUDAIDA, Jan. 22 (Saba) - The west-based Coastguard said it had received an alert from the elder of fishermen in Alaraj area in Yemen's province of Hudaida that two fishing boats went missing in the Red Sea, the Interior Ministry's Information Bureau reported on Friday.

The two boats sailed from Warsha island on January 11 and they have never come back yet, the elder told the website, adding even there was no trace of them.

The ministry said a search was organized for the boats after circulating the incident to fishermen living in areas near Alaraj to help find or at least know something of the boats and their crews.

Piracy has recently soared off Somalia with Somali pirates attacking hundreds of ships passing in the region.

Several pirate attacks on Yemeni boats were reported late last year in the Arabian and Red Seas in southern and western Yemen.

Few days ago, Yemen said it was equipping a regional anti-piracy center located in Sana'a that would be opened in the first quarter of this year.

FR