# Why is piracy picking up off Somalia’s coast again?

https://mins.news/en/item/38809

- Al Jazeera, 2026-08-31 13:52 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/31/why-is-piracy-picking-up-off-somalias-coast-again?traffic_source=rss

> Piracy is resurging off Somalia, although it remains far below the 2011 peak. Somalia’s government says Turkish and Somali forces freed the cargo ship MV Lutuf after a 10-day pursuit, killing 14 pirates and destroying four boats. Puntland disputes the account, saying a ransom secured the release. The competing claims have not been independently verified. At least 15 attacks have occurred in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden this year.

## Related coverage

- [Turkish and Somali forces free vessel seized by pirates](https://mins.news/en/item/37121) — DW, 2026-08-29
- [Somali piracy surges as US-Iran war sends ripples through region](https://mins.news/en/item/36319) — BBC News, 2026-08-29