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Somali pirates have hijacked a cargo ship off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, with at least six Indian sailors among the 10 people on board.
The Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel, Lutuf, was seized earlier this week, according to an Associated Press report.
The ship was taken on Monday about 3.5 nautical miles off the coast of Maraiya in Puntland’s Eyl district, according to a local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
The crew includes six Indian sailors, one Turkish national, one Georgian national and two Serbian security guards.
The official said eight pirates seized the vessel and took it toward the coast near Garmal in Puntland’s Dangorayo district.
The pirates are believed to have previously hijacked another commercial vessel, Sword, on April 26.
The Lutuf was carrying weapons, communications equipment and satellite gear reportedly bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu. The vessel is owned by Polar Movement Shipping.
Neither Indian nor Turkish authorities have so far issued an official statement on the incident.