MV Sward and its 17 crew members have been freed near Garacad in Puntland after a ransom was paid to Somali pirates, according to security sources cited by AFP. The amount paid for the vessel’s release was not disclosed.
The vessel had been under pirate control since 26 April 2026, when armed men seized it off the Somali coast. Its crew consists of 15 Syrians and two Indians.
After taking MV Sward, the pirates used the vessel in further seizures at sea. Two Iranian fishing vessels and the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship MV Lutuf were among the ships captured during that period.
Puntland security sources said the crew remained aboard MV Sward when it was released. The pirates went ashore and left the area in several vehicles that had been positioned near Garacad.
Another security source said the vehicles were already waiting before the pirates reached the port area, indicating possible contact with people on land while they were still at sea. Two additional Puntland security sources confirmed details of the release to AFP.
The same sources had told AFP in late August that $2.5 million was paid for MV Lutuf, while the release of the two Iranian fishing vessels involved a payment of $40,000.
Somalia’s federal government has presented a different account of how MV Lutuf was freed. It attributed the release to military pressure from the Turkish navy and Somali armed forces. According to the government, four pirate boats were destroyed and 14 pirates were killed during the operation.
Piracy activity has increased off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. The International Maritime Organisation has recorded at least 15 attacks in the region this year, the highest count since 2013.
Four commercial vessels remain in pirate hands off Somalia. They are the tankers Honour 25, Eureka, Asana and Seamull.
