Turkey has neutralised four pirates who were involved in the hijacking of a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship carrying Turkish weapons, according to media reports. The cargo vessel, M/V LUTUF, was seized by Somali pirates off the region’s Nugaal coast on Monday.
The ship was carrying six Indians, and there is no information regarding their condition.
The vessel had been under Turkish radar since it was hijacked. Local media reports said they reportedly gave Somali pirates holding the vessel a deadline to release the ship.
Soon, two Turkish-owned ships approached the area, followed by Turkish helicopters and drones. It was then that they noticed the small boat carrying two men approaching the vessel. They were delivered khat, a stimulant commonly chewed in Somalia. After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike followed, killing four men and wounding two others, a Turkish official told reporters.
“Turkish helicopters and drones struck the boat where the pirates who had gone ashore for supplies were located, neutralising four pirates,” the report added. However, it is not clear whether those killed were involved in the hijacking.
The ship has 10 crew members on board, one of whom is Turkish. The vessel was reportedly carrying Turkish weapons, communications equipment and satellite gear bound for a military training facility in Mogadishu.
The ship is owned by Polar Movement Shipping. 10-member crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards.
Meanwhile, the Somali media has given a different version of the cargo, stating that the cargo could be intended for Turkish space-related projects in Somalia.
Turkey maintains a major military presence in Somalia and has a long-standing security partnership with Mogadishu. It has deployed hundreds of troops, operates advanced armed drones and trains elite Somali units like the Gorgor commandos in the country.
