Somali pirates have been using Yemen’s remote Horn of Africa island of Socotra as a refuelling hub enabling their attack craft to stay restocked for longer periods at sea and pose a greater hazard to shipping.
Somali gangs, who are making millions of dollars in ransoms, are becoming increasingly violent.
Pirates use the beaches on the mainland not too far from Mukalla to collect fuel, and presumably other equipment.

JULY 5, 2011 (reuters.com)