"The IMB is very concerned about the recent increase in piracy activities by armed Somali militia," the IMB, a branch of the International Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement released in London and received in the Kenyan capital.

"The threat posed to vessels operating off the eastern Somali coast is very real and should not be understated," it said, adding that "acts of piracy are increasing at an alarming rate" in waters there.

At least 15 violent incidents, including the well-publicized and as yet unresolved hijacking of a UN-chartered ship carrying food aid for Somali tsunami victims, have occurred since mid-March compared with just two in 2004, it said.

In one 10 day period in late July, commercial ships reported eight separate attacks, many of which involved pirates opening fire on vessels with automatic weapons, the IMB said.

The board has been warning shipping since June to stay at least 50 miles (80 kilometers), and preferably further, away from the coast if they must pass through Somalia waters but said those alerts may no longer be valid.

"While many mariners have heeded this advice, the pirates operating in the area have become more audacious and are venturing further away from the shoreline," it said, noting that several recent incidents had taken place more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the coast.

"Using violent means, these pirates have been extorting substantial sums of money from shipowners in exchange for the return of vessels and crew," the IMB said.

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