Pakistani Crewmen Freed After Somali Forces Recover Hijacked Oil Tanker

Somali maritime police said they had recovered the MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying Pakistani crewmen, more than five months after it was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland. The vessel had been seized on April 21 while operating near Somali waters, keeping families in Pakistan waiting for months with limited information about the safety of those on board.

The tanker had 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, along with other foreign nationals. Puntland Maritime Police Force officials said naval and ground units carried out a planned operation in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district and later announced that the vessel was under the control of Puntland authorities. The force also said 21 suspected pirates had been apprehended, while efforts were continuing to locate others linked to the hijacking.

The recovery brought relief but also deep uncertainty because reports of casualties emerged soon after the operation. A family member of one Pakistani crewman said relatives had heard that some Pakistanis may have been killed or injured, but they were still trying to confirm names and conditions. She said families had been unable to reach the ship’s captain and remained anxious about whether the injured and the bodies would be moved from the vessel.

Initial reports attributed to the crew suggested that five people had died and four others had been injured during the incident. The available official details remained limited, and Pakistan’s Foreign Office had not immediately provided further confirmation. That gap left families dependent on scattered communications from survivors, humanitarian contacts and maritime officials as they waited for verified updates.

The case had already become a major concern for families in Pakistan before the recovery operation. Relatives of the hostages had appealed for help from the government, foreign authorities, the United Nations and the International Maritime Organisation, saying the crew had run short of clean water, food and medicine during captivity. Pakistani officials had previously said they were actively engaged in efforts to secure the sailors’ release.

Human rights representatives involved in the case said the International Maritime Organisation had made contact after the operation and assured cooperation for the return of injured crew members and the bodies of those killed. The next steps now depend on confirmation of casualties, medical evacuation arrangements, consular coordination and the safe repatriation of Pakistani nationals. The incident also highlights the renewed danger of Somali piracy, with maritime attacks in the region rising again after years of relative decline.