Deadly end to months-long hostage ordeal

Three Pakistani sailors were among five crew members killed aboard the hijacked MT Honour 25 before Puntland security forces recovered the tanker, according to Puntland authorities and reports from Pakistani sources. The Palau-flagged petroleum products tanker had been seized by Somali pirates on April 21, around 30 nautical miles off Puntland’s coast, with 17 crew members aboard, including 10 Pakistanis.

The other victims were an Indian and a Myanmar national, while four crew members were reportedly injured, including three Pakistanis and one Indian. Pakistani victims were identified in local reports as Second Officer Kashif Umar, Third Engineer Mahmood Ansari and Oiler Rafiullah Khan.

Puntland authorities said security forces launched an operation in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district and brought the tanker under government control. Reports said suspected pirates were detained during the operation, although the number reported by different authorities varied.

Fresh concerns for Pakistani sailors

Surviving Pakistani crew members reportedly contacted the Ansar Burney Trust after the incident and described the attack. The trust has called for urgent medical treatment for injured sailors and the return of the bodies of those killed to their families.

The MT Honour 25 had remained in pirate captivity for more than four months, making the incident one of the latest signs of renewed Somali piracy. Recent attacks have raised concerns over the safety of commercial shipping and seafarers operating around the Somali coast and wider Indian Ocean region.