Puntland seizes boat smuggling weapons from al-Qaeda

Sabahi Online
Monday, July 23, 2012

Puntland authorities announced they captured a ship carrying explosives from Yemen to Somalia on Friday (July 20th), the Yemen Post reported.

Al-Qaeda in Yemen was transporting the rockets, explosives, shells and ammunition to al-Shabaab, said Puntland Minister of Ports and Anti-Piracy Said Mohamed Rage. He said a Yemeni man was apprehended when the ship was seized.

Al-Shabaab announced its merger with al-Qaeda last year, and Puntland's government has been concerned that ongoing al-Qaeda activities in Yemen might extend to its territory, as fighters have been known to travel between Somalia and Yemen. In March, the Yemeni Ministry of Interior accused the al-Shabaab movement of sending about 300 fighters to fight alongside al-Qaeda against the Yemeni army and security forces.

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