Cameroon-Flagged Cargo Ship Hijacked Off Somali Coast with Indian Crew

Six Indians were among the 10-member crew of a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship hijacked by pirates off Somalia’s Puntland coast earlier this week, news agency AP reported citing a Somali official on Thursday.

The M/V LUTUF was seized on Monday about 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district and was later taken towards the Nugaal coast, the official said.

The vessel, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was carrying Turkish weapons bound for a military training facility in Mogadishu, along with communications and satellite equipment.

Its crew comprised six Indian nationals, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards.

The official said eight pirates were believed to have seized the vessel. They were allegedly linked to a group previously involved in the hijacking of the M/V Sward on April 26.

Two Turkish-owned vessels later approached the hijacked ship, while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the area, the official said.

A small boat carrying two men also approached the vessel on Tuesday and delivered khat, a stimulant commonly chewed in Somalia. The official said an airstrike followed after the boat returned to shore, killing four men and injuring two others.

The circumstances of the strike, including who carried it out and whether those killed were involved in the hijacking, could not be independently verified by the news agency.