U.S.-trained Yemeni Coast Guard stops piratesin Gulf of Aden

CAIRO, August 26, 2011 — The Yemen Coast Guard has reported foiling a piracy attack.

The U.S.-trained coast guard said its ships prevented the piracy of a Yemeni oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. The coast guard said the attack took place on Aug. 23 and the tanker eventually reached Aden.

"The naval forces and coastal defense forces are vigilantly protecting all Yemeni territorial waters and attempts to intercept navigation shall not be tolerated," a Yemeni coast guard commander said on Aug. 24.

Britain and the United States have helped form a 40-ship coast guard for Yemen. The force was meant to protect against both Al Qaida and Somali piracy attacks in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

Officials said the Yemen Coast Guard has been working with an international force to protect commercial shipping through the Gulf of Aden. Over the last year, Somali pirates have expanded operations to the Gulf and Sea of Oman.

"Our forces are running round-the-clock patrols to detect any pirate ships and fishing vessels that enter our waters without permission," the commander, who was not named, said.