Pirates hijack cargo ship carrying Turkish weapons off Somalia's coast, official says

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Pirates hijacked a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship off Somalia’s Puntland coast earlier this week and took the vessel, which was carrying Turkish weapons, toward the region’s Nugaal coast, a Somali official said Thursday.

The M/V LUTUF was seized on Monday about 3½ nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district, the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about sensitive information.

The ship, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was carrying weapons bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, as well as communications and satellite equipment, the official said.

The 10-member crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards, he said.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish authorities about the incident.

Eight pirates, believed to be members of a group previously involved in the hijacking of the M/V Sward on April 26, took the vessel toward 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, he said.

After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike followed, killing four men and wounding two others, the official said.

The circumstances of the strike, including who carried it out and whether those killed were involved in the hijacking, couldn't immediately be independently verified. The status of the LUTUF, including its crew and cargo, wasn't immediately clear. The AP couldn't independently verify all details of the account.

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Suzan Fraser contributed to this report from Ankara, Turkey.