There has been a new upsurge of piracy off Somalia, reports an agency associated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).

Sea forces officials of the transitional government have said on Wednesday that are going to wrap up training for about 500 marine forces in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Five pirates are believed to have died at sea along the Somali coast after collecting a US$3 million ransom payment, Radio Garowe reports.

Three Somali pirates died and two others are missing after their boat capsized in the coast off Somalia on Friday evening, witnesses said on Saturday.