Six Indians among crew of cargo ship carrying Turkish weapons hijacked off Somalia

MOGADISHU: Six Indians were aboard a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship hijacked by pirates off Somalia's Puntland coast earlier this week, a Somali official remarked Thursday.

Key points

• The 10-member crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards, he remarked.
• The M/V LUTUF, which was carrying Turkish weapons, was seized on Monday and taken by the pirates toward the region's Nugaal coast.
• While Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the area, the official stated, two Turkish-owned vessels afterwards approached the hijacked ship.
• On Tuesday, a small boat carrying two men approached the vessel and delivered khat, a stimulant commonly chewed in Somalia, he remarked.
• After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike followed, killing four men and wounding two others, the official remarked.

For context, the M/V LUTUF, which was carrying Turkish weapons, was seized on Monday and taken by the pirates toward the region's Nugaal coast.

Since he wasn't authorised to speak publicly concerning sensitive information, the ship was seized regarding three and a half nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland's Eyl district, the official informed The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

As well as communications and satellite equipment, the official remarked, the ship, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was carrying weapons bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu.

In practice, the 10-member crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards, he remarked. There was no immediate comment from Turkish authorities regarding the incident.

Eight pirates, believed to be members of a group previously involved in the hijacking of the M/V Sward on April 26, took the vessel toward the coast near Garmaal in Puntland's Dangoroyo district.

For context, the circumstances of the strike, including who carried it out and whether those killed were involved in the hijacking, couldn't immediately be independently verified.

Notably, the status of the LUTUF, including its crew and cargo, wasn't immediately clear. The AP couldn't independently verify all details of the account.

In short, six Indians among crew of cargo ship carrying Turkish weapons hijacked off is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.