Turkish and Somali forces have retaken the Cameroon-flagged general cargo ship Lutuf nearly two weeks after it was seized by Somali pirates.

The 1,400 dwt vessel was taken on August 17, about 4.5 nautical miles off Somalia’s coast, while carrying supplies to Turkey’s TURKSOM military base in Mogadishu.

Somalia’s defence ministry said a 10-day operation involving Turkish naval forces destroyed four pirate boats and killed 14 suspected pirates before the remaining attackers abandoned the vessel on Saturday. The ship’s 10 crew members — six Indians, one Turk, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards — were freed.

The circumstances surrounding the release remain contested. Puntland authorities have rejected Mogadishu’s account of a military rescue, saying instead that a ransom was paid. Unconfirmed reports had earlier said the pirates initially demanded $10 million before lowering the figure to $2 million.

The seizure was the latest sign that Somali piracy is again becoming a sustained threat rather than a series of isolated incidents, adding pressure on shipping companies and naval patrols that have spent years trying to keep the Gulf of Aden and wider Indian Ocean routes open.

Pirate groups are increasingly using captured fishing vessels and dhows as motherships to extend their range deep into the Indian Ocean, a tactic that can complicate detection and widen the area of risk for merchant traffic.

Last week, the International Maritime Organization warned that six ships and more than 90 seafarers were being held by pirates and armed robbers, and described the waters around the Gulf of Aden as increasingly dangerous.