Pirates Seized A Turkish Ship Carrying Weapons Off The Coast Of Somalia

• 20.08.2026, 22:02

The crew consisted of ten people.

Pirates off the coast of Somalia have seized a Cameroonian-flagged vessel carrying weapons, according to Associated Press a Somali official.

The vessel Lutuf was seized earlier this week off the coast of the Eel district in the Puntland region. According to the official, the Lutuf was carrying weapons for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, as well as communications equipment and satellite gear. The crew consisted of ten people: six Indian nationals, citizens of Turkey and Georgia, and two Serbian security guards.

According to an AP source, eight pirates towed the vessel to the coast of the Nugaal district. Later, two Turkish ships approached the vessel, while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the situation in the area.

An official reported that an airstrike occurred after a small boat carrying two men arrived and then returned to shore. As a result, four people were killed and two others were injured. AP was unable to independently verify who carried out the strike or whether the victims were connected to the hijacking of the vessel.