Somali pirates hijack cargo ship in fifth attack since April
Hijacking marks alarming resurgence of Somali piracy in Horn of Africa waters
Somali pirates have seized another cargo ship off the country's coast, maritime security agencies reported, in the latest sign that piracy is resurging in the waters off the Horn of Africa after years of relative calm.
The Cameroon-flagged general cargo vessel Lutuf was boarded by eight armed men at about 11:36 am UTC on Aug. 17, 2026 roughly four nautical miles south of Mareeyo, Somalia, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, or UKMTO.
The agency classified the incident as a hijacking.
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Maritime security company Vanguard Tech identified the ship as the 1,401-deadweight-ton Lutuf, built in 1995.
The status of its crew remained unconfirmed in the latest reports.
The identity and demands of the attackers have not been established, and no group had publicly claimed responsibility.
Confirmed: This was a hijacking
The initial report came from the vessel's company security officer, who told UKMTO that eight unauthorised armed people had boarded and taken control of the ship.
The incident was independently reflected in the European Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa's reporting, while shipping publications including Lloyd's List, TradeWinds and Seatrade Maritime identified the vessel as the Lutuf.
UKMTO's own incident tracker lists the event as a "Hijack" four nautical miles south of Mareeyo.
The crew's status remains unconfirmed.
Early social-media reports have claimed the crew is safe, but this has not been confirmed by UKMTO or the more authoritative maritime reports available so far.
