Somali pirates have hijacked the Lutuf, a cargo vessel flying the Cameroonian flag, off the coast of Somalia. Eight armed men boarded the vessel, built in 1995, and took full control of it. According to Splash247, there has been no contact with the crew so far, and their condition remains unknown.
The hijacking is another sign that piracy is returning to the western Indian Ocean. International naval forces managed to significantly reduce such attacks in recent years, but pirate groups are now becoming active again.
According to Splash247, Somali pirates are currently holding four vessels and 44 seafarers. The groups are also operating farther from the Somali coast, using captured fishing vessels and dhows as bases for attacks.
Amid the increase in attacks, countries in the region have agreed to establish a multinational maritime task force. Its role will be to coordinate patrols and other operations in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
The decision was made by states that signed the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its Jeddah Amendment. The new task force will operate alongside existing international naval missions.
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