Wednesday June 14, 2017
The international naval coalition Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) will reportedly increase its presence in the Bab Al Mandeb Strait, in response to attacks against ships offshore Somalia.
According to the website elcorreo.ae, the decision is a response to actions perpetrated by hutis rebels against ships that steam across the Red Sea, as well as to the increased piracy.
The Bab Al Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, is a key path for world trade.
CMF said in the statement that the recent attacks on the merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandeb have shown that there are still risks related to traveling across the area.
In response to the threats to navigation, CMF will increase the navy presence in the western part of the Gulf of Aden.
CMF operations will cover from the Somali coast to the northern area of the Gulf of Oman, reaching the Maldives in the east and the Comoros in the south, a total area of some 2.5 million square kilometers, said the media.
CMF, a US-led coalition with 31 member countries headquartered in Bahrein, monitors and watch safety in some areas in international waters, including the Gulf of Aden.