Five foreign crew members were killed aboard the MT Honor 25 before Puntland maritime forces launched an operation to rescue the vessel, which had been forcibly seized by pirates.
According to Puntland authorities, the deceased crew members included three nationals of Pakistan, one from Myanmar, and one from India. Four other crew members were wounded in the attack; three are Pakistani and one is Indian.
Puntland maritime forces reported that they concluded the rescue operation within a few hours; the vessel is now secure and under the control of the PMPF (Puntland Maritime Police Force).
During the operation, forces captured 16 pirates, while other members who fled the scene remain the subject of an ongoing manhunt.
Puntland stated that it possesses information regarding the whereabouts of the fugitives, and operations to apprehend them are currently underway.
Puntland affirmed that it would continue its anti-piracy operations, with forces remaining on high alert to apprehend anyone involved in acts of piracy. Puntland also stated that legal action will be taken against anyone found to be involved in acts of piracy.
Three Pakistani sailors were among five crew members killed on the ship *MT Honor 25* while naval forces were attempting to rescue the vessel from a group of Somali pirates, according to two survivors of the incident.
The Ansar Burney Welfare Trust told *The Express Tribune* that the pirates opened indiscriminate fire on the hostages as they fled the ship, following the launch of a rescue operation by Puntland forces.
Pirates had seized the *Honour 25* on April 21 while it was traveling from Oman to Somalia, approximately 30 nautical miles off the coast of Puntland.
The Puntland Marine Police Force announced on Tuesday that they had conducted an operation off the coast of Dharin-baar in the Bandar Bayla district, resulting in the ship’s rescue.
The three slain Pakistanis were identified as Kashif Umar (the ship’s second officer), Mahmood Ansari (third engineer), and Rafiullah (boiler operator); all three hailed from Karachi.
The other two victims were Tanveer, an Indian national, and the ship’s chief engineer, who was from Myanmar. Four other crew members were injured in the incident, while othersโincluding Hussain Yousuf, Imran Ali, and Yaseenโsurvived unharmed.
The report stated that the pirates, while fleeing, also damaged the ship’s navigation system, rendering it unable to operate independently.
The Palau-flagged vessel carried a crew of 17, including 10 Pakistanis. For months, the crew members’ families had staged protests and issued appeals urging the Pakistani government to secure the release of their loved ones.
ย The pirates initially demanded a $3 million ransom but later reduced the amount to $1 million.
ย This operation also took place just days after Puntland forces rescued the ship *Sibu 1*; however, 28 of the 41 pirates captured during that operation subsequently escaped while being transferred to prison.
