Five Hostages Killed, Including Three Pakistanis, During Somali Pirate Rescue Operation

Five sailors, including three Pakistanis, were killed and four others injured when Somali pirates opened fire on the crew of a hijacked oil tanker while fleeing a maritime security operation, according to surviving Pakistani crew members and the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust.

The Puntland Maritime Police Force said it conducted a maritime operation off the coast of Dharin-baar in Bandar Beyla District and rescued the MT Honour 25, which had been seized by pirates near Somali waters on April 21.

Pakistani crew members Hussain Yousuf and Imran Ali, who survived the incident, contacted the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust in Karachi using the captain’s mobile phone and provided details about what happened during the rescue operation.

According to the survivors, Somali and Puntland authorities launched a joint operation to free the tanker. The operation led to an exchange of fire after the pirates came under pressure and attempted to flee the vessel.

The survivors told the welfare trust that the pirates opened indiscriminate fire on the kidnapped crew members while retreating from the ship.

The three Pakistani sailors killed in the incident were identified as Second Officer Kashif Umar, Third Engineer Mahmood Ansari and Boiler Rafiullah. All three were residents of Karachi.

The other two deceased crew members were identified as Indian national Tanveer and the chief engineer from Myanmar.

Four sailors were injured in the incident. They were identified as Usman, Yasir, Ameen and Indonesian national Vicky. Hussain Yousuf, Imran Ali and Yaseen remained safe, according to the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust.

The pirates also damaged the tanker’s steering system while escaping, leaving the vessel unable to navigate independently.

A Somali naval vessel involved in the operation began towing the damaged tanker towards the coast. The process was expected to take around two days.

The Palau-flagged Honour 25 had a 17-member crew, including 10 Pakistani sailors, when it was hijacked around 30 nautical miles off Puntland while sailing from Oman towards Somalia.

The crew had remained in pirate captivity for months as their families sought their release through diplomatic and official channels. The pirates initially demanded a ransom of $3 million before reducing the amount to $1 million.

During their captivity, the sailors reportedly faced severe shortages of food, drinking water and medicines. They told their families that they were largely surviving on boiled rice and, at one stage, had been forced to consume contaminated water.

The Pakistani government and Ministry of Human Rights have been informed about the deaths and injuries, according to the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust.

The incident comes amid renewed concerns over piracy along Somalia’s coastline. Puntland authorities have also carried out operations against other hijacked vessels in recent days.

The Puntland Maritime Police Force said the Honour 25 was carrying around 18,500 barrels of oil when it was seized.

Somali authorities have been pursuing several hijacked vessels in the area as piracy activity has increased along parts of the country’s coastline.