Garacad, Somalia (WDN) — Puntland has launched a ground operation against suspected pirates in Garacad, killing one and capturing two others from a group accused of taking ransom for the Turkish-linked MV Lutuf, according to Puntland security officials cited by Puntland Post.

Four other suspects reportedly escaped. The operation comes days after Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni warned in Garacad that his government would launch a campaign against piracy, suggesting the administration may be moving from warnings to direct action against pirate networks. The group is also accused of holding the MV Sward for ransom.

The Garacad operation could be an early test of how far Puntland is prepared to go to dismantle the piracy networks operating along its coast.

A serious crackdown cannot stop with capturing individual pirates. It would require targeting the wider infrastructure that enables hijackings—including financiers, ransom negotiators, recruiters, logistics networks and those providing safe havens along the coast. That makes the latest operation significant, but not yet conclusive.

If Puntland intends to eradicate piracy rather than contain it temporarily, authorities will need sustained intelligence operations, coastal surveillance, arrests, prosecutions and efforts to disrupt the flow of ransom money.

Puntland has confronted piracy before, and previous crackdowns helped drive the threat down for years. The recent return of hijackings has therefore raised questions about whether the authorities can prevent the networks from rebuilding.

The Garacad operation sends a clear signal that Puntland is prepared to use force against suspected pirates. But force alone will not eliminate the business model.

The decisive question is whether Puntland can dismantle the networks behind the pirates—not simply pursue the men carrying out the hijackings. That will determine whether President Deni’s pledge becomes a sustained anti-piracy campaign or another short-lived security operation.

For Puntland, the stakes extend beyond individual vessels. Renewed piracy threatens commercial shipping, coastal livelihoods and the region’s wider maritime security.

Garacad may be the beginning of Puntland’s new piracy crackdown. The real measure of success will be whether the authorities can make piracy financially, logistically and operationally impossible to sustain.

WardheerNews