Current Affairs

Cargo Vessel Lutuf Freed as Somalia Disputes Ransom Allegations

Somalia's Ministry of Defence claimed the National Armed Force freed the hijacked Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel Lutuf on 29 August with Turkish military support, reporting 14 pirates killed and 10 boats destroyed. However, Puntland's Ministry of Security disputed this narrative, alleging federal officers acted as intermediaries for ransom payment rather than conducting a military operation. The vessel, carrying Turkish weapons and communications equipment bound for Mogadishu, had been hijacked on 17 August with 10 crew members aboard.