Pirates Hijack 10-Crew MV Lutuf Carrying Turkish Weapons as Airstrike Kills 4 off Somalia
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 20
Pirates Hijack 10-Crew MV Lutuf Carrying Turkish Weapons as Airstrike Kills 4 off Somalia
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 20
Summary
Monday’s hijacking seized the Cameroon-flagged MV Lutuf about 3.5 nautical miles off Puntland’s Eyl district, with eight pirates taking the ship toward the Nugaal coast.
The vessel was carrying weapons, communications gear and satellite equipment for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, with a 10-member crew of Indians, a Turk, a Georgian and two Serbian guards aboard.
Tuesday’s airstrike hit after a small boat delivered khat to the hijacked ship and returned to shore, killing four men and wounding two; who launched it and whether the casualties were pirates remain unverified.
Two Turkish-owned vessels later approached the ship while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the area, but the status of the crew, cargo and vessel was still unclear.
The hijackers were believed linked to the April 26 seizure of the MV Sward, underscoring a renewed piracy threat off Somalia’s Puntland coast.