Turkey and Somalia Secure Release of Hijacked Cargo Vessel MV Lutuf

Somali and Turkish forces rescued a Cameroon‑flagged cargo ship after a 10‑day operation that resulted in the death of 14 pirates.

Published On 30 Aug 202630 Aug 2026

Turkish and Somali forces have freed a cargo ship held captive by pirates off the coast of Somalia’s semi‑autonomous Puntland state, according to authorities.

In a statement on X on Saturday, the Somali Ministry of Defence said that 14 pirates died in the operation to free the Cameroon‑flagged MV Lutuf.

Four of their boats were also destroyed, the ministry added.

The sustained pressure applied by the joint forces ultimately forced the remaining pirates to abandon the vessel, allowing the security forces to take control of the ship.

The rescue operation was carried out under a defence cooperation agreement between Somalia and Turkiye, aimed at bolstering maritime security, protecting Somalia’s coastline and combating piracy.

The Somali Defence Ministry did not disclose details about any crew casualties or the condition of the ship’s crew.

A local elder, Abdullahi Warsame, from the Jiifle community in the Godob Jiraan district of Puntland’s Nugal region, told the Associated Press that the vessel and its crew had been released.

The MV Lutuf departed from the Turkish Port of Tekirdağ in late July. It was hijacked on 17 August in waters off the Nugal region of Puntland, a semi‑autonomous federal state in northeastern Somalia.

According to Marine Traffic, the cargo ship has continued its voyage toward its reported destination in Dar‑es‑Salaam, Tanzania.

Piracy was rampant off the Somali coast during the 2000s, peaking in 2011, before being curbed by international naval deployments and new protection measures for commercial shipping.

However, attacks have surged since April, with at least 15 incidents recorded off the Somali coast this year—the highest tally since 2013, according to the International Maritime Organization. At least five cargo ships have been held hostage, the most recent being seized on 20 August off the coast of Yemen.

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