Puntland Accuses Turkey of Deadly Airstrikes That Killed Somali Fishermen
Puntland has accused Turkey of carrying out recent airstrikes along Somalia’s coast, saying the attacks killed fishermen and suspected Somali pirates holding the M/V LUTUF.
MOGADISHU, Somalia (Somali Report) — Somalia's oldest Federal state of Puntland has directly accused Turkey of carrying out airstrikes in recent days along its coast, as Somali pirates continue to hold the M/V LUTUF vessel.
Puntland's deputy security minister, Abdirahman Yusuf Dujaana, said the regional administration had evidence linking Turkish forces to the strikes, although he did not disclose details of the evidence.
The strikes reportedly targeted areas where the vessel and suspected pirates were located. Puntland said the ship was carrying military equipment believed to be linked to Turkey.
The attacks killed fishermen as well as people suspected of being members of Somali piracy groups, according to Puntland officials.
Dujaana said Puntland did not support killing people suspected of piracy, arguing that piracy should instead be addressed through procedures consistent with the law and international legal standards.
"We do not support the killing of people suspected of piracy," Dujaana said, according to remarks reported by local media. He said Puntland believed suspected pirates should be dealt with through lawful procedures.
The deputy minister also linked the dispute to broader political tensions between Puntland and Somalia's federal government, saying those tensions could affect relations between Puntland and Turkey.
Puntland has sent letters and documents to the international community concerning what it described as violations along its coastline, including the strikes it attributed to Turkish forces, Dujaana said.
The accusations come as Somalia's state minister for defence, Omar Ali Abdi, said earlier this week that the federal government was aware of military operations taking place off Puntland's coast.
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Abdi said the government was preparing a comprehensive report on the operations but did not identify the force responsible for the strikes.
The competing claims have raised further questions over who carried out the attacks and why, at a time when piracy has been making a comeback along Somalia's coastline.
The M/V LUTUF is being held by Somali groups suspected of piracy, according to Puntland. The vessel has become a focal point in the latest tensions over efforts to combat piracy off Somalia.
Turkey has previously rejected allegations that it was involved in the strikes along Puntland's coast.
The reported attacks took place around Jiifle, a coastal area under the administration of Godob-Jiraan district in Somalia's Nugaal region.
The incident comes as piracy and ship hijackings have again emerged as a security concern in waters around Somalia. International maritime officials have reported a sharp increase in piracy incidents in the region this year, after several years in which attacks had remained relatively low.
Somalia's federal government and regional authorities have repeatedly called for stronger maritime security, while international naval forces have continued to monitor shipping routes around the Horn of Africa.
The latest dispute could further complicate efforts to coordinate anti-piracy operations, particularly amid political tensions between Puntland and Mogadishu.
Neither Turkey nor Somalia's federal government has publicly provided a detailed account of the strikes or confirmed the identity of the force that carried them out.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.