6 Indians Onboard Hijacked Cargo Ship Carrying Turkish Weapons Near Somalia

At least six Indians were among a 10-member crew aboard a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship that was hijacked by pirates off Somalia's Puntland coast earlier this week. Pirates took the ship carrying Turkish weapons toward the region's Nugaal coast, according to a Somali official. 

The merchant vessel LUTUF was seized on Monday about three and a half nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland's Eyl district, the Associated Press reported, quoting an official who wasn't authorised to speak publicly about sensitive information.

Eight pirates, believed to be members of a group previously involved in the hijacking of another merchant vessel named Sward on April 26, reportedly took the ship toward the coast near Garmaal in Puntland's Dangoroyo district.

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

Apart from six Indian sailors, the ship also had one Turkish national, one Georgian, and two Serbian security guards, he added. 

So far, neither Indian nor Turkish authorities have issued any statement on the matter. 

How the Ship Was Hijacked

According to the report, two Turkish-owned vessels later approached the hijacked ship, while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the area.

On Tuesday, a small boat carrying two men approached the vessel and delivered khat, a stimulant commonly chewed in Somalia, the official said. 

After the boat returned to shore, an airstrike followed, killing four men and wounding two others, the official said.

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. 

The status of the LUTUF, including its crew and cargo, was also not immediately clear, nor could NDTV independently verify all details of the account.