The Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel M/V LUTUF was hijacked by eight armed pirates approximately 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya along the Puntland coast in Somalia. The vessel was carrying weapons, satellite equipment, and military communications cargo bound for a Turkish military training facility (TURKSOM) in Mogadishu.
The ship’s 10-member crew includes 6 Indian nationals, 1 Turkish national, 1 Georgian national, and 2 Serbian private armed security guards.
Key Incident Details & Sequence
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Citadel Breach: Armed with AK-47s, the pirates approached the vessel in two speed skiffs and successfully boarded. Although the crew initially retreated into the ship’s reinforced citadel, the pirates breached the secure room and forced the crew to the bridge.
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Vessel Routing: The hijackers, suspected to belong to a clan network involved in previous regional maritime attacks, steered the LUTUF towards Garmaal in Puntland’s Dangoroyo district along the Nugaal coastline.
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Turkish Surveillance & Airstrike: Following the takeover, Turkish military helicopters, drones, and naval assets monitored the ship’s movements. After a small local craft delivered khat to the ship, an airstrike hit the delivery boat on shore, killing four individuals and wounding two.
Official Response & Concurrent Hijackings
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Safety Confirmation: India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that diplomatic channels and maritime authorities are actively tracking the situation, noting that all Indian seafarers aboard are currently reported safe and uninjured.
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Double Maritime Crisis: The hijacking of the LUTUF occurred alongside a second incident in the region—the takeover of the Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker MT Sibu 1 (Seamull) in the Gulf of Aden, which has 16 Indian crew members on board. In total, 22 Indian sailors are involved across both hijacked vessels.
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Consular Outreach: The Indian High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya, has engaged Somali federal and regional authorities to ensure the secure release and repatriation of all crew members.
