8 Armed Pirates Hijacked Cargo Ship ‘Lutuf’ Off Somalia, Status Of Crew Remain Unconfirmed

A Cameroon-flagged cargo ship, Lutuf, has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia, according to the UKMTO. The 1995-built vessel was boarded by 8 armed pirates around 1136 hours UTC, after which they forcefully took the ship under their command.

The condition of the crew members is not known, as an investigation into the hijacking has just begun. The incident happened four nautical miles south of Mareeyo, Somalia, according to a report from the ship’s company security officer.

There has been a resurgence in piracy in Somalian waters, as ships are forced to take the route around South Africa due to the Houthi threat in the Red Sea and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping as U.S-Iran talks remain stalled.

Piracy-related incidents have increased even though powerful winds and rough seas due to the monsoon make it difficult to operate skiffs.

JMIC also issued a warning for ships sailing near Somali waters to remain vigilant at all times given opportunistic pirate attacks.

According to sources, four commercial vessels and 44 seafarers are currently hijacked by pirates as of August 16, 2026, including the product tanker Honour 25, which was hijacked on April 21, 2026; the Saint Kitts and cargo vessel Sward hijacked on April 26; the product tanker Eureka and chemical tanker Asana hijacked on May 2 and July 17, 2026, respectively.