Turkish and Somali forces have freed a Cameroon-flagged vessel hijacked off Somalia after a 10-day operation.
Somalia's Defense Ministry said four boats used by the pirates were destroyed and that sustained military pressure forced the remaining attackers to abandon the vessel, which has since resumed its journey. At least eight crew members were reportedly aboard the MV LATUF, including one Turkish national, according to Turkish Minute.
The MV Latuf was seized on August 17 near the coastal village of Garmal in Puntland's Bari Region and released on 29 August.
The Somali government has dismissed reports in a statement that a $4.5 million ransom was paid to the pirates, saying that the pirates were forced to abandon the vessel following the sustained joint operation, which lasted 10 days. "The troops fully took control of the MV Latuf, which is currently peacefully undertaking its journey," the statement added.
Sa'id Abdullahi Deni, the leader of Puntland, a semi-autonomous state located in northeastern Somalia, said on August 27 that his administration would not allow foreign countries to carry out operations without its authorization, and warned of a crackdown on piracy.
Earlier, Deni said his forces would soon launch operations targeting pirates off its Indian Ocean coast, vowing to fight them as they had fought the al-Shabab and Islamic State extremist groups.
Last week, unknown warships killed 11 people, including some said to be fishermen, in strikes that targeted boats in Jifle and Garmal. The operation comes as piracy resurges along Somalia's coast, with at least 15 attacks recorded this year, increasing tensions in international shipping already navigating around the Strait of Hormuz and seeking to avoid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
