Thursday August 27, 2026
Puntland Deputy Security Minister Abdirahman Yusuf Dujaana
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland regional authorities have accused Türkiye of being behind recent deadly attacks off the coast of Nugaal region following the hijacking of the M/V Lutuf by Somali pirates.
Speaking to BBC Somali on Thursday, Puntland Deputy Security Minister Abdirahman Yusuf Dujaana said Puntland blamed Türkiye for the attacks and also accused Somalia’s federal government of involvement.
“We are fighting pirates, but people have rights. People cannot be killed,” he said.
He said Puntland had evidence and information about Turkish activity involving the ship and nearby areas.
The attacks followed the hijacking of the Cameroon-flagged M/V Lutuf on Aug. 17.
A Somali official told The Associated Press that the vessel was carrying weapons from Türkiye, along with communications equipment and a satellite system, and was headed to a Turkish military training center in Mogadishu.
Pirates reportedly directed the vessel and its crew toward the coast of Nugaal region.
On Aug. 18, four people were reported killed and two others wounded in an airstrike near Garmaal after a small boat returned to shore from the hijacked vessel.
Some early reports described those killed as suspected pirates.
Relatives of the dead and some local residents denied that account, saying they were fishermen.
On Aug. 23, another deadly airstrike was reported in the Jiifle area of Godobjiran district.
The district mayor said nine people were killed in the strike.
A local resident who visited the scene said he saw eight badly burned bodies. He said some of the young men on board were known fishermen in the area but could not confirm why they were at sea or whether all those on board had links to pirates.
BBC Somali reported that it contacted Türkiye about allegations of civilian casualties linked to the strikes. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Ankara had no information about the attacks.
On Aug. 22, Somalia’s State Minister for Defense, Omar Ali Abdi, told local media that the federal government was aware of military operations and shelling off the coast of Puntland.
He said the government was preparing a comprehensive report.
Abdirahman underscored that the political dispute between Puntland and the federal government had complicated efforts to fight piracy.
He accused the federal government of involvement in the ongoing incidents but did not provide independent evidence to support the claim.
He also said Puntland was investigating criminal networks suspected of supporting pirates.
Abdirahman said Puntland had arrested foreign nationals carrying GPS devices and computers allegedly used to track ships hundreds of miles offshore.
He said Puntland has the troops and equipment needed to fight pirates on land and at sea, but added that operations are difficult because ship crews are being held hostage.
“The people they are holding hostage should not be harmed,” he said.
- With files from the BBC Somali Service
