Somalia: Drone strike kills four pirates day after ship hijacking

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A drone strike killed four suspected Somali pirates near Garmaal on Puntland’s Nugaal coast on Tuesday, a day after gunmen hijacked the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel MV Lutuf off Somalia’s northeastern coast, Daily Somalia reported on Tuesday.

The general cargo ship was boarded by eight armed men at approximately 11:36 a.m. UTC on August 17, 2026, roughly four nautical miles south of Mareeyo, Somalia, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO), the London-based agency that monitors shipping security across the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin corridor.

Following the hijacking, the armed men reportedly left the captured vessel aboard a small boat to gather supplies onshore. It was during this shore excursion that the drone strike struck near Garmaal, killing four of the suspected hijackers.

It remains unclear who carried out the strike. No government, military coalition, or private security contractor had claimed responsibility at the time of publication.

The current status of the MV Lutuf, its crew, and the remaining armed men involved in the hijacking has not yet been disclosed by UKMTO or other maritime authorities.

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