Turkish commandos retook the cargo ship Lutuf off Somalia on 29 August in an operation conducted with Somali forces, nearly two weeks after pirates seized the vessel.
Turkey’s Ministry of Defense said Lutuf had been transporting supplies to the TURKSOM Military Base in Somalia when it was targeted by pirates. Turkish and Somali forces closely monitored the ship during a 10-day operation before taking control on Saturday morning.
The operation followed the rejection of ransom demands from the pirates. Unconfirmed media reports said the pirates initially demanded $10 million before lowering the amount to $2 million.
Reports from Somalia also described earlier clashes involving the pirates. Between four and six pirates were reportedly killed after leaving Lutuf in a small boat to obtain supplies. The pirates were then reported to have placed the cargo ship under full lockdown.
The vessel had 10 crew members on board, comprising six Indian nationals, one Turkish national, one Georgian national and two Serbian security guards.
The 1,400-dwt Lutuf, built in 1995 and operating under the Cameroon flag, was seized on 17 August in Indian Ocean waters about 4.5 nautical miles south of Maraya on Somalia’s southern coast. At least eight pirates were reported to have boarded and taken control of the ship.
Somali authorities said forces had secured Lutuf and that the vessel had safely resumed its voyage. They also warned that those involved in piracy, as well as those supporting such acts, would be held accountable.
Four other ships seized since April are thought to remain in pirate hands. Egypt and Pakistan have sought a diplomatic solution for the release of their citizens among the kidnapped crew members. Pakistani officials had said that using force to retake the vessels would be too dangerous because the ships are tankers.
Since the beginning of the year, 15 ships have been seized or attacked by pirates, renewing maritime security concerns in a region critical to international trade.
Turkey has deployed the naval vessels TCG Kemalreis and TCG Yzb to the Horn of Africa to combat piracy and protect maritime routes linking the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
