Construction work has begun on Puntland Navy Base in the coastal village of Bandar Siyada, about 25km west of Bosaso city, the commercial capital of Puntland in north-eastern Somalia.
The project, funded by Puntland State and UK-based security company Saracen International, includes the construction of a training centre for new recruits and a command centre for the Puntland naval force, according to turkishmaritime.com.
Puntland Ports and Marine Transportation Minister Mohamed Rage said the state would establish a new naval force with the necessary equipment and training to combat Somali pirates in the region.
The EU is currently conducting Operation Atalanta off Somalia, a naval operation in Gulf of Aden to protect World Food Programme vessels and prevent piracy.
The Puntland Navy Base will be the first constructed in Somalia since 1991.
