Puntland coast airstrikes kill at least 13 amid questions over Turkish involvement

Two deadly airstrikes along the coast of Puntland, Somalia, have resulted in at least 13 deaths, amid growing scrutiny of Turkish military involvement. The strikes occurred near Garmaal and Jiifle following the hijacking of the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship M/V LUTUF.

The first strike near Garmaal reportedly killed four people and injured two. While security sources suggested the targets were linked to the hijackers, local residents and Puntland officials identified the victims as civilian fishermen. A second strike near Jiifle reportedly killed at least nine people when a missile hit a small boat.

Although no government has officially claimed responsibility, reports indicate that Turkish naval and aerial assets, including drones and helicopters, were operating in the vicinity of the hijacked vessel at the time of the attacks. When questioned by BBC Somali, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated it had “no information” regarding the operations, a response that observers noted stopped short of an explicit denial of involvement.