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Pirates hijack cargo ship carrying Turkish weapons off Somalia’s coast, official says
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Pirates hijacked the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship M/V LUTUF off Somalia’s Puntland coast on Monday, taking it toward the Nugaal coast; the vessel was carrying Turkish weapons and communications equipment destined for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu.
- The ship's 10-member crew included nationals from India, Turkey, Georgia, and Serbia, with the hijackers believed to be linked to a previous piracy incident involving the M/V Sward in April.
- Turkish-owned vessels and aerial surveillance by helicopters and drones monitored the hijacked ship, and an airstrike reportedly killed four men and wounded two others after a small boat delivered khat to the vessel.
- Details regarding who conducted the airstrike, the identities of those killed, and the current status of the ship, crew, and cargo remain unclear and unverified.
- Turkish authorities have not yet commented on the incident, and independent verification of the account is pending.
