By Asha Elmi - Reporter
GARACAD, Somalia, September 13, 2026 Somali pirates have released the MV Sward and its 17 crew members after holding the vessel off Somalia’s coast for nearly five months, Hindustan Times reported on Saturday, citing AFP.
The vessel was released near the coastal town of Garacad in Puntland after a ransom was paid. The amount was not disclosed.
Armed men hijacked the MV Sward off the Somali coast on April 26. Its crew comprised 15 Syrian nationals and two Indian nationals.
The crew remained aboard when the vessel was released, while the pirates disembarked and travelled into Garacad in several vehicles, according to the report.
Vehicles were reportedly waiting for the pirates onshore, suggesting they may have remained in contact with a land-based network while operating at sea.
Hindustan Times reported that the pirates had used the MV Sward as a mothership to launch attacks against other vessels. It was linked to the seizure of at least two Iranian fishing boats and the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel MV Lutuf.
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The report said Puntland security sources had previously claimed that a $2.5 million ransom was paid for the release of the MV Lutuf in late August, while $40,000 was paid to free the two Iranian fishing boats.
Somalia’s federal government offered a different account of the MV Lutuf’s release, saying sustained military pressure from the Turkish navy and Somali forces secured its freedom. The government said four pirate boats were destroyed and 14 pirates were killed during the operation.
Piracy has increased off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden since April. Figures from the International Maritime Organization show that at least 15 attacks have been recorded in the region this year—the highest number since 2013.
Hindustan Times also reported that four commercial vessels—22Honour 25, Eureka, Asana and Seamull—remain in the hands of Somali pirates off Somalia’s coast.
MV Sward was hijacked on its way to Kenya’s Mombasa port.