General Cargo Vessel Lutuf Hijacked Off Somalia

The Cameroon-flagged general cargo vessel Lutuf was hijacked by eight armed men off the Somali coast on 17 August, according to maritime security authorities. The vessel was boarded by the armed men approximately 4 nautical miles off Mareeyo, Somalia, at around 11:36 UTC before they took control of the ship. The condition of the crew remains unknown. Authorities are investigating the incident, while UKMTO and the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) have warned of continued opportunistic pirate attacks in the region.