Somali Pirates Hijack Cameroon-Flagged Cargo Vessel Lutuf South of Mareeyo

The Cameroon-flagged general cargo vessel Lutuf (1,401 DWT, built 1995) was hijacked by eight armed men approximately four nautical miles south of Mareeyo, Somalia, at approximately 1136 UTC on August 17. UKMTO classified the incident as a hijacking. Crew were reported safe at time of initial reporting. EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta is monitoring the situation.

Lutuf is the fifth vessel seized off Somalia since April, bringing the total currently held by Somali pirates to five. Maritime security analysts link the surge in piracy activity to reduced naval deterrence as warships have been redirected to the Hormuz and Red Sea theatres.