Turkey, Somalia free hijacked ship; 14 pirates killed — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Turkish and Somali forces have freed a hijacked ship off the coast of Somalia, killing 14 pirates in the operation, a media report said on Sunday. The Associated Press reported that Somalia’s Defence Ministry said Turkish and Somali forces had taken control of the MV Latuf, a Cameroon-flagged vessel, from pirates. It said the ship was hijacked by pirates on August 17 in the Nugal region of Somalia’s Puntland state. Somalia’s Defence Ministry said four boats used by the pirates were destroyed during the operation to free the ship, while 14 pirates were killed. The ministry said that “sustained pressure from the forces ultimately compelled the remaining pirates to abandon the vessel”, allowing the forces to take control of the ship. The rescue operation was conducted under a defence cooperation agreement between Somalia and Turkey, aimed at strengthening maritime security, protecting Somalia’s coastline and combating piracy, it said. The Somali Defence Ministry did not provide details about any casualties or the wellbeing of the ship’s crew. A local elder, Abdullahi Warsame, from the Jiifle community in Godob Jiraan district of Puntland’s Nugal region, told The Associated Press that the vessel and its crew had been freed. The hijacking has heightened concerns over a possible resurgence of pirate activity off the coast of Somalia.