By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Garowe, 22 August 2026 Puntland authorities demanded an explanation over airstrikes in the Garmaal area of Nugaal region that the regional administration said killed fishermen and residents, days after a cargo ship was hijacked off its coast.
Puntland’s Ministry of Security said in a statement Friday that it condemned a resurgence of piracy and called on countries involved in international anti-piracy operations to explain strikes carried out in the area.
The ministry said the strikes hit Garmaal between Aug. 18 and Aug. 20 and that fishermen and local residents were among those killed. It did not identify those responsible.
The strikes followed the hijacking of the Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF near Marraya in Eyl district on Aug. 17. The vessel, carrying Turkish weapons and communications and satellite equipment bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, was taken toward the Nugaal coast, according to The Associated Press.
A Somali official told AP that two Turkish-owned vessels later approached the hijacked ship while Turkish helicopters and drones monitored the area. After a small boat carrying two men returned to shore from the vessel, an airstrike killed four men and wounded two others, the official said.
Related articles
The circumstances of the strike, including who carried it out and whether those killed were involved in the hijacking, have not been independently verified. Turkish authorities have not publicly claimed responsibility.
Local reports described the four men killed as suspected pirates, while relatives and other residents disputed that identification and said civilians and fishermen may have been among those targeted. Neither Turkey nor Somalia’s federal government had commented as of Friday.
Puntland said it supports international efforts to combat piracy but stressed that operations along its coast should take into account the protection of civilians and local communities.
At least 19 piracy-related incidents have been recorded in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden since the start of 2026, with five commercial vessels hijacked since April, according to Sheba Intelligence.