Four pirates killed in airstrike after ship hijacking off Somalia

Wednesday August 19, 2026

Garowe (HOL) — An airstrike off the coast of Garmaal in Somalia’s Nugaal region killed four suspected pirates on Tuesday, a day after they allegedly hijacked a ship bound for Mogadishu, according to Puntland security officials.

The four men were in a small boat heading toward the coast when they were targeted. Puntland security officials said the drone used in the strike belonged to the Turkish government.

Neither the Somali federal government nor Turkey had immediately commented on the reported airstrike.

The men were among eight pirates who allegedly hijacked the M/V LUTUF off the coast of Marraya in Eyl district on Monday. The vessel was reportedly sailing under the Cameroonian flag and owned by a Turkish company.

The ship was carrying 10 crew members, including six Indian nationals, one Turkish national and one Georgian national. The nationalities of two security guards aboard the vessel were not immediately known.

According to preliminary information, the pirates used another vessel, the MV Sward, which they had previously seized and which was reportedly carrying agricultural fertilizer.

The four men killed in the strike were believed to have been part of the group that hijacked the M/V LUTUF. The fate of the remaining suspected pirates and the crew members remained unclear.

The incident comes as piracy off Somalia’s coast has shown signs of renewed activity, raising concerns for commercial shipping in the region.

Piracy was widespread in Somali waters during the 2000s and reached a peak in 2011. International naval patrols, improved coordination and changes in commercial shipping practices subsequently brought the number of attacks down sharply.

But suspected Somali pirates have become active again in recent months.

Three tankers carrying oil and fertilizer were seized off Somalia in April and May and were reportedly being held along the Somali coast. In July, a chemical tanker seized in Yemeni waters was also brought toward the Somali coast.