Hijacked Ship Near Somalia Carrying Turkish Weapons Had 6 Indians Onboard

At least six Indians were part of the 10-member crew of a cargo ship reportedly hijacked by pirates off Somalia’s Puntland coast earlier this week, according to an Associated Press report citing a Somali official.

The Cameroon-flagged merchant vessel LUTUF was seized on Monday, around 3.5 nautical miles from Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district. The pirates reportedly took the vessel towards the Nugaal coast.

Turkish Military Cargo Onboard

The ship was reportedly carrying weapons destined for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, along with communications and satellite equipment. The vessel is owned by Polar Movement Shipping. Eight pirates are believed to have seized it and moved it towards the coast near Garmaal in Puntland’s Dangoroyo district.

The group is reportedly suspected of having links to pirates involved in the earlier hijacking of another merchant vessel, Sward, on April 26.

Crew Includes Six Indians

Of the 10 people aboard LUTUF, six were Indian sailors. The remaining crew consisted of one Turkish national, one Georgian national and two Serbian security guards. Indian and Turkish authorities had not issued public statements on the reported incident at the time of the report.

Turkish Forces Track Hijacked Vessel

The situation reportedly drew the attention of Turkish assets in the area. Two Turkish-owned vessels approached LUTUF, while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the hijacked ship. On Tuesday, a small boat carrying two men reportedly approached the vessel and delivered khat, a stimulant widely consumed in Somalia.

The boat later returned to shore, after which an airstrike reportedly killed four people and injured two others, the Somali official said. However, several details remain unverified, including who carried out the airstrike and whether the people killed were involved in the hijacking.

The reported seizure comes amid continuing concerns over piracy and maritime security along Somalia’s coast, where commercial vessels remain vulnerable to attacks and hostage-taking.