Monday August 24, 2026
Garowe (HOL) — Türkiye has denied reports that it carried out airstrikes off the coast of Puntland, where fishermen and suspected Somali pirates were reportedly killed this week.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official told BBC Somali on Monday that Ankara had no information about airstrikes carried out by Turkish warplanes off the Puntland coast.
Puntland strongly condemned the attack, saying the killing of people without trial violates international law.
Puntland Deputy Information Minister Bile Mahmoud Qabowsade said that if those targeted were suspected of crimes, legal procedures should have been followed.
Puntland’s Ministry of Information said it did not yet have official information about the attack or the exact number of casualties but had launched an investigation.
“We do not have much information. This information requires extensive follow-up. I hope that the investigation will be carried out in the coming days,” Qabowsade told BBC Somali.
Local sources said the Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF, which was hijacked by pirates last week, had been taken to the area several days before the strike.
The vessel was hijacked Aug. 17 near the Marraya area of Eyl district in Puntland.
An official told The Associated Press that the ship was seized about 3½ nautical miles off the coast and was believed to be carrying weapons intended for a Turkish military training center in Mogadishu, along with communications and satellite equipment.
The incident comes amid renewed concerns over piracy and maritime security off Somalia’s coast, where Puntland authorities have repeatedly warned about illegal fishing, armed groups and the movement of suspicious vessels.
