(Xinhua) -- Yemen's coasties foiled an attempt by Somali pirates to take a foreign merchant cargo ship in the strategic Red Sea Strait of Bab al-Mandab, the country's Defense Ministry said on Friday."Four Somali pirates onboard a high-speed boat tried to seize a foreign merchant cargo ship off the Yemeni island of Meion in Bab Al-Mandab," the ministry's website said. "The Yemeni coasties, who were in charge of escorting the sailing fat merchantman when passing through the Yemeni shark-infested waters, put a few rounds across the pirates' bow and forced them to flee the scene," it added.
The ministry did not reveal when the botched hijack attempt occurred or identify the nationality of the ship.
Bab Al-Mandab Strait is located between the waters of Yemen and Somalia.
On August 29, Yemen said it raised alert level and tightened security along the country's coastline and the Gulf of Aden for fears of hijack attempts by Somali pirates or possible infiltration of Somali al-Qaida Islamic fascisti to Yemen, according to state media.
The impoverished Arab country also said it increased its coast- guard patrol boats deployed along the Yemeni coastline and the Gulf of Aden to prevent any hijacking attempts in the Yemeni waters or possible infiltration by the Somali hard boyz into the Yemeni territories.
These tighten security measures have been adopted by Sanaa government since the Somali-based al-Qaida wing Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahideen announced its intention to support the Yemeni-based branch of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) earlier this year.