Six Indians were part of a ten-member crew on a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship, the M/V LUTUF, which was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, earlier this week. The vessel was reportedly transporting Turkish weapons along with communications and satellite equipment. The hijacking occurred on Monday, and the current status of the ship, crew, and cargo remains uncertain, with no immediate response from Turkish officials.
According to a Somali official, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, the ship was seized approximately three and a half nautical miles off the coast of Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district. The M/V LUTUF is owned by Polar Movement Shipping and was en route to a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu. The crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian, and two Serbian security guards. The official indicated that eight pirates, linked to a previous hijacking incident, took the vessel toward the coast near Garmaal in Puntland’s Dangoroyo district.
In response to the hijacking, two Turkish-owned vessels approached the area while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the situation. On Tuesday, a small boat delivered khat, a stimulant popular in Somalia, to the hijacked ship. Following this, an airstrike occurred, resulting in four fatalities and injuries to two others. The details surrounding the airstrike, including the responsible party and the involvement of those killed in the hijacking, have yet to be independently verified. The situation remains fluid and concerning as the hijacked cargo ship carries significant military supplies.
