Somali pirates have hijacked two ships in four days, including a Turkish weapons-carrying cargo vessel off Puntland and a tanker seized off Yemen.
Somali pirates have hijacked two ships in four days, raising concerns that piracy is making a major comeback in waters off Somalia and Yemen amid growing regional instability.
The latest incidents include the seizure of the Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF off Somalia’s Puntland coast and the hijacking of the Eritrean-flagged SIBU 1 tanker off Yemen. The LUTUF was reportedly carrying Turkish weapons and equipment bound for a military training facility in Mogadishu.
The LUTUF was seized Monday about 3½ nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district, according to a Somali official. The vessel, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was carrying weapons as well as communications and satellite equipment. Its 10-member crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards.
Eight pirates reportedly took the vessel toward the Nugaal coast near Garmaal in Puntland’s Dangoroyo district. Two Turkish-owned vessels later approached the ship, while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the area.
Airstrike Kills Four After Pirate Ship Seizure
A small boat carrying two men later approached the hijacked vessel and delivered khat. After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike killed four men and wounded two others, according to the Somali official. The origin of the strike and whether those killed were involved in the hijacking could not be independently verified.
The SIBU 1 was separately hijacked off Yemen by seven armed pirates and diverted toward Somali waters. The tanker is believed to be part of Iran’s shadow fleet and had routinely transported fuel to the Yemeni port of Ras Isa, controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia. The condition of its 20-person crew was unknown.
Somali officials said six ships are currently being held by pirates, including the two seized this week, with more than 100 crew members being held hostage across those vessels.