Hargeysa(Mogadishu24)-The Breakaway Republic of Somaliland has expressed grave concerns about the recent increase in piracy along the Red Sea and has reportedly strengthened its maritime security to curb such incidents.

“The government of the Republic of Somaliland is paying special attention to the insecurity in the southern part of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as attacks have been carried out on commercial and warships, potentially leading to a situation of piracy,” Somaliland’s Ministry of Interior said in an official statement.

The statement added that the administration fears that piracy would have economic impacts, citing potential inflation in the cost of living and an increase in insurance rates for ships in the state.

The statement highlighted that Somaliland, with a coastline of 850 km protected by its navy, has taken measures to prevent acts of piracy and smuggling from its shores.

“In the last two weeks, the Government of Somaliland has intensified the monitoring and protection of Somaliland’s coasts and overall maritime security in the region,” the statement noted.

Somaliland has committed to strengthening the security and safety of its sea, commercial zone, and economic borders while adhering to legal principles in accordance with international regulations.

This comes a week after pirates hijacked a Yemeni boats and two Iranian boats along with their crews off the shores of Puntland State in Somalia.

Pirates also launched an attack and fired missiles targeting a US warship, the USS Mason, in the Gulf of Aden.

Although the attack was foiled by the US Navy, initial indications from U.S. officials at the Pentagon suggested that Somali pirates attacked the product tanker Central Park.