Six Indians were among a 10-member crew aboard a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship hijacked by pirates off Somalia’s Puntland coast earlier this week, according to a Somali official.
The M/V LUTUF, owned by Polar
Movement Shipping, was seized on Monday and taken towards the Nugaal coast. The vessel was carrying Turkish weapons bound for a military training facility in Mogadishu, along with communications and satellite equipment.
The ship was seized around three-and-a-half nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district, the official told The Associated Press.
The crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards. There was no immediate comment from Turkish authorities, while Ministry of External Affairs has also not responded to the incident.
Pirates Take Ship Towards Coast
Eight pirates, believed to be linked to a group involved in the April 26 hijacking of the M/V Sward, took the vessel towards the coast near Garmaal in Puntland’s Dangoroyo district.
Two Turkish-owned vessels later approached the hijacked ship, while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the area, the official said.
On Tuesday, a small boat carrying two men approached the vessel and delivered khat, a stimulant commonly chewed in Somalia. After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike followed, killing four men and injuring two others, according to the official.
It was not immediately clear who carried out the strike or whether those killed were involved in the hijacking. The status of the LUTUF, its crew and its cargo also remained unclear. The AP said it could not independently verify all details of the account.
Fresh Pirate Attack Raises Concerns
The incident comes amid renewed concerns over piracy off the Somali coast. In a separate incident on Thursday, a US-sanctioned tanker was seized in the Gulf of Aden after six armed men boarded the vessel and allegedly forced it to change course towards Somalia.
The Seamull, also known as SIBU 1, issued a distress call after it was approached around 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen.
The EU’s Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean said six armed men had boarded the tanker and were in control of the vessel.
The US sanctioned the Seamull last year, identifying it as part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” accused of transporting Iranian oil using deceptive shipping practices.
Piracy off Somalia had declined sharply after peaking in 2011 following international naval patrols and tighter security measures. However, attacks have increased again since April, with several vessels reportedly being held hostage.
(With inputs from agencies)
