Fisherman in the Puntland region of Somalia, along the pirate-plagued Gulf of Aden, have formed their own militia to take the fight to the pirates. Local fishermen say they're fed up with would-be pirates snatching their fishing boats at gunpoint to then use on attacks against commercial vessels. The new militia has had some early success, capturing 12 suspected pirates in two boats.
Officials in Somalia's fragile national government are promising tough justice for pirates, including possibly the death penalty under newly-enacted laws, according to the BBC. But for all the tough talk, its questionable whether the 12 men detained will face any justice past being plucked off their boats by some angry fishermen.
Puntland is a self-described autonomous region in northern Somalia. While it hasn't pushed for independence, it also doesn't recognize the shaky central government in Mogadishu. In the past, suspected pirates turned over to the authorities in Puntland have tended to be quickly released, facing little actual punishment. Part of the reason is likely because piracy is one of the few activities that brings money into the impoverished costal regions of Somalia.
Meanwhile, the Russian navy is claiming one of the biggest victories yet off the coast of Somalia, where on Tuesday the destroyer Admiral Panteleyev captured 29 pirates aboard a pirate vessel, along with their firearms and navigational equipment. The day before the same pirate ship attacked a Russian-owned oil tanker, but the tanker's crew was able to repel the would-be hijacking. No word yet on what will happen to the 29 suspected pirates.
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