Somalia suffers from poverty and political violence, including bombings in Mogadishu. Somali pirates often prowl waters around Alula. Photo / AP
Somalia suffers from poverty and political violence, including bombings in Mogadishu. Somali pirates often prowl waters around Alula. Photo / AP
A huge explosion has been heard from a ship off the coast of Somalia's Puntland region with flames seen rising from what was possibly a foreign naval vessel, an official has told Reuters.
"We heard (a) huge explosion and flame rising from the ship. I believe that the ship isforeign," Ali Shire, Mayor of Puntland's port town of Alula, a pirate haven, said.
He said he believed the ship was likely a naval vessel because two foreign navy ships had helped rescue the crew.
It was not immediately clear whether the explosion was caused by an accident onboard the vessel or was triggered by pirate attackers.
It was also not clear whether the vessel had sunk after the blast.
Somali pirates often prowl waters around Alula. In March, pirates hijacked an oil tanker, Aris 13, with eight Sri Lankan crew on board, the first time a commercial ship was commandeered in the region since 2012.
