The Somali Ministry of Defence said Saturday that forces had taken control of the MV Latuf after sustained pressure forced the remaining pirates to abandon the vessel. Four pirate boats were also destroyed during the operation, Al Jazeera reported.
The rescue was carried out under a defence cooperation agreement between Turkiye and Somalia focused on strengthening maritime security, protecting Somalia’s coastline and combating piracy, according to the ministry.
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Somali authorities did not disclose whether any crew members or security personnel were injured or killed during the operation.
Abdullahi Warsame, a local elder from the Jiifle community in Puntland’s Godob Jiraan district, told The Associated Press that the cargo vessel and its crew had been successfully freed.
The MV Latuf departed from the Turkish port of Tekirdag in late July before being hijacked on August 17 in waters off Puntland’s Nugal region in northeastern Somalia.
According to MarineTraffic data, the vessel has resumed its journey and is heading towards its reported destination of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The successful rescue comes as concerns grow over a resurgence of piracy in waters around Somalia. Piracy reached its peak off the Somali coast in 2011 but declined sharply following international naval deployments and improved security measures for commercial vessels.
However, attacks have increased again since April. The International Maritime Organization has recorded at least 15 piracy attacks off Somalia so far this year, the highest number since 2013.
At least five cargo vessels have been held hostage in the recent wave of attacks. The latest reported incident occurred on August 20, when a tanker was seized off the coast of Yemen.
The operation to free the MV Latuf highlights growing regional efforts to counter piracy and protect vital shipping routes linking the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
