Turkish commandos retake hijacked ship off Somalia

Turkish and Somali forces have retaken the Cameroon-flagged general cargo ship Lutuf nearly two weeks after it was seized by Somali pirates.

The 1,400 dwt vessel was taken on August 17 around 4.5 nautical miles off Somalia’s coast while carrying supplies to Turkey’s TURKSOM military base in Mogadishu.

Somalia’s defence ministry said a 10-day operation involving Turkish naval forces destroyed four pirate boats and killed 14 suspected pirates before the remaining attackers abandoned the vessel on Saturday. The ship’s 10 crew – six Indians, one Turk, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards – were freed.

The circumstances surrounding the release remain contested. Puntland authorities have rejected Mogadishu’s account of a military rescue, claiming instead that a ransom was paid. Unconfirmed reports had earlier suggested the pirates initially demanded $10m before reducing the figure to $2m.

The seizure was the latest sign that Somali piracy is once again becoming a sustained threat rather than a collection of isolated incidents.

Pirate groups are increasingly using captured fishing vessels and dhows as motherships to extend their range deep into the Indian Ocean.

Last week the International Maritime Organization warned that six ships and more than 90 seafarers were being held by pirates and armed robbers, describing waters around the Gulf of Aden as increasingly dangerous.