Turkish, Somali forces free hijacked cargo ship; Somalia says 14 pirates killed

Turkish and Somali forces have freed a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship hijacked off Somalia after a 10-day operation in which 14 alleged pirates were killed, Somalia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry said four boats used by the pirates were destroyed during the operation and that sustained military pressure forced the remaining hijackers to abandon the MV LUTUF.

“The forces subsequently secured the MV LUTUF, which has now safely resumed its journey,” the ministry said.

The ministry did not say whether any members of the ship’s crew had been injured or provide evidence supporting the reported death toll. The details could not be independently verified.

The vessel was seized on August 17 off Jifle in the Eyl district of Somalia’s northeastern Nugaal region, which is part of the semiautonomous Puntland state.

A local elder, Abdullahi Warsame, told The Associated Press that the vessel and its crew had been freed.

AP previously reported, citing an unnamed Somali official, that the ship had a 10-member crew comprising six Indian nationals, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards.

The vessel, which sails under the Cameroonian flag, is owned by Polar Movement Shipping. Marine tracking data showed that it departed Turkey in late July with the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam listed as its destination.

AP reported, citing the unnamed Somali official, that the vessel was carrying Turkish weapons as well as communications and satellite equipment intended for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu.

Neither Turkey nor Somalia has officially confirmed the nature of the cargo.

The Somali Defense Ministry said the operation was conducted under a bilateral defense cooperation agreement aimed at protecting Somalia’s coastline, strengthening maritime security and combating piracy.

Turkey and Somalia signed a 10-year defense and economic cooperation agreement in February 2024 under which Ankara agreed to help Somalia protect its territorial waters and develop its naval capabilities. Turkey also operates its largest overseas military training facility in Mogadishu and has trained thousands of Somali soldiers.

Piracy off the Horn of Africa has risen to its highest level since 2013, according to an AFP analysis of data from the International Maritime Organization.

At least 15 attacks have been reported since the beginning of 2026 in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean within 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) of Somalia. Eight of those attacks have occurred since May.

Piracy was widespread off Somalia during the late 2000s and peaked in 2011, when approximately 200 attacks were recorded. The threat later declined sharply due to international naval patrols, armed security aboard commercial vessels and other protective measures.

Attacks began increasing again in late 2023 as international naval resources were diverted toward protecting shipping from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in and around the Red Sea.

Agence France-Presse, with reporting from Turkish Minute