ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Somali maritime forces have freed the hijacked oil tanker, the MT Honour 25, and its crew after more than five months in pirate captivity off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on Tuesday.
During the counter-piracy operation, five members of the hostage crew were killed, including three Pakistanis, Ansar Burney Trust, a human rights organization that was in contact with the pirates, said.
A Palau-flagged Honour 25 was hijacked by armed pirates on April 21, 2026, and had 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis. Pirates had reportedly demanded $3 million in ransom for the ship, its cargo, and crew.
In a statement, the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) said that “it carried out a maritime operation off the coast of Dharin-baar, Bandar Beyla district, successfully rescuing the oil tanker.”
According to Somali media reports, the cargo ship was carrying 18,500 barrels of fuel and was en route to the Somali capital Mogadishu.
In a statement, the Ansar Burney Trust said that five members of the hostage crew were killed, and four were injured during the anti-piracy operation. The dead include 3 Pakistanis, 1 Indian, and 1 Myanmarese.
The deceased Pakistani crew members have been identified as Second Officer Kashif Umar, Third Engineer Mahmood Ansari, and Rafiullah Khan.
The Ansar Burney Trust, citing the ship’s second engineer, said the injured include Fourth Engineer Usman, Aqeel, Amin, and an Indonesian crew member. It further added that during the operation, the steering system of MT Honour 25 was damaged and the ship is being towed to another ship.
