almotamar.net - Yemeni citizens informed almotamar.net Monday that their relatives working in fishery were retained with their fishing boats by Somali sides 15 days ago.

Mohammed Ali al-Junaid an inhabitant of Abu Zahar village, Khoukha district in Hudeidah governorate to the west of Yemen mentioned he had received a phone call from three of his relatives who told him they were held in the Somali area of sola among a number of fishermen he estimated them at more than 100 who were on a fishing trip.

He said another number from his village and representatives for the fishermen society have gone Monday to concerned authorities in Sana'a to present the issue of their detained relatives in Somalia. He clarified that Somalians have demanded from them sums of money amounted to $15 thousand for each of the seven boats to be released.

Relatives of the retained fishermen said they were promised by an official at the ministry of fish wealth to work for the fishermen release.