Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Lutuf was hijacked off Somalia on 17 August after eight armed people boarded the vessel and took control.
The incident occurred at around 1136 hrs UTC, about 4 nm south of Mareeyo, Somalia, according to a UKMTO warning based on a report from the ship’s company security officer.
Maritime security company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as Lutuf. Equasis lists the vessel as a 1995-built, 1,401 dwt general cargo ship.
The status of the crew remained unconfirmed, while authorities were investigating the incident.
The hijacking occurred amid continued opportunistic pirate activity off the Somali coast. JMIC assessed the threat to shipping in the area as moderate in an advisory issued on 16 August. The assessment cited persistent opportunistic attacks despite monsoon conditions that are generally unfavourable for skiff launches.
As of 16 August, JMIC reported that four merchant vessels were being held by Somali pirate groups.
They were Palau-flagged product tanker Honour 25, hijacked on 21 April 2026; Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo ship Sward, hijacked on 26 April; Togo-flagged product tanker Eureka, hijacked on 2 May 2026; and Tanzania-flagged product/chemical tanker Asana, hijacked on 17 July 2026.
