6 Indians Aboard Hijacked Cargo Ship Carrying Turkish Weapons Near Somalia

New Delhi: At least six Indian sailors were among a ten-member crew aboard the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship LUTUF. Pirates hijacked the merchant vessel near Somalia’s Puntland coast earlier this week, according to reports citing a Somali official.

The pirates seized LUTUF on Monday, about three and a half nautical miles from Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district. Eight pirates reportedly captured the vessel before steering it toward the Nugaal coast near Garmaal. The Somali official said the attackers belonged to a group previously linked to another merchant ship hijacking. The same group reportedly seized the merchant vessel Sward on April 26. LUTUF carried Turkish weapons destined for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, according to the official. The vessel also transported communications equipment and satellite technology, adding to concerns surrounding the hijacking.

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Somalia Hijacking Raises Fresh Maritime Security Concerns

Polar Movement Shipping owned the vessel, which carried crew members from several different nationalities. Besides the six Indian sailors, LUTUF carried one Turkish national and one Georgian national. Two Serbian security guards also travelled aboard the ship when pirates seized it. Indian and Turkish authorities have not issued public statements about the reported incident so far. According to the report, two Turkish-owned vessels later approached LUTUF after the hijacking.

Turkish helicopters and drones also monitored the area around the seized cargo ship. On Tuesday, a small boat carrying two men reportedly approached LUTUF and delivered khat. The stimulant remains commonly chewed across Somalia and parts of the surrounding region. After the boat returned toward the shore, an airstrike reportedly killed four men and wounded two others. However, authorities have not established who conducted the strike or confirmed the identities of those killed. Officials also have not confirmed whether those men participated in the reported hijacking. The current condition of LUTUF’s crew remains unclear, while authorities have not confirmed the cargo’s status. The incident highlights continuing security concerns along Somalia’s coastline and surrounding maritime routes. The presence of Turkish military equipment reportedly aboard the vessel has added further significance. Authorities now face pressure to establish the crew’s whereabouts and determine the circumstances behind the attack.

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