ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will repatriate the bodies of three Pakistani sailors killed during the operation to recover the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 off the coast of Somalia, the Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday. Five crew members lost their lives in the incident — three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national — while four others, including three Pakistanis, were injured and are receiving medical care.
FAKTA: MT Honour 25 at a glance
- Vessel: MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying about 18,500 barrels of petroleum products.
- Hijacked: 21 April 2026, about 30 nautical miles off Puntland’s coast — held for more than five months.
- Crew: 17 seafarers aboard, including 10 Pakistani nationals.
- Recovery: Planned operation on Tuesday, 29 September 2026 by the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) off Dharin-Bar in Bandar Beyla district; the tanker is now under Puntland government control.
- Casualties: Five killed — Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari (Pakistan), plus one Indian and one Myanmar national. Four injured — three Pakistanis and one Indian.
- Pirates: 16 suspected pirates captured; the killings are the first reported deaths of seafarers at the hands of Somali pirates in more than a decade.
Five crew killed as pirates opened fire
According to Puntland authorities and survivors, the pirates killed five crew members before the security operation was completed. The Ansar Burney Welfare Trust, which had been in contact with the survivors, said the pirates opened indiscriminate fire on the hostages while retreating as the Puntland Maritime Police Force moved in to retake the vessel.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan identified the three Pakistani victims as Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari. The trust identified them by rank as Second Officer Kashif Umar, Third Engineer Mahmood Ansari and Boiler Rafiullah. The Foreign Office expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families.
Injured crew in hospital, survivors ashore at Bandar Beyla
Four crew members — three Pakistanis and one Indian national — were wounded in the violence and have been shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The surviving crew members were brought safely ashore at Bandar Beyla, a town in Puntland, according to the Foreign Office.
Ansar Burney, director of the Ansar Burney Trust, confirmed the casualties and said his organisation had repeatedly alerted the relevant authorities to the threats facing the crew’s lives and had urged immediate action. He called for the injured to be returned safely and for the bodies of those killed to be handed over to their families.
Pakistan’s diplomatic response
In its statement on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said Pakistan’s embassy team in Djibouti is proceeding to Bandar Beyla to assist the Pakistani nationals. The government remains in close contact with Somali authorities and other concerned stakeholders through its missions and the relevant authorities. The News reports that the FO has identified the three Pakistani victims and is taking steps to bring their mortal remains home.
“Every possible effort is being made to ensure proper medical care for the injured, facilitate the transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased, and ensure the safe return of the surviving Pakistani crew members,” the statement said. Read the full story on our main site: Pakistanis killed in MT Honour 25 operation — bodies to be repatriated.
Second rescue in a week amid piracy resurgence
The MT Honour 25 recovery was the second Puntland rescue operation in a week, following the freeing of the tanker Sibu 1, a vessel under US sanctions that pirates had hijacked in August. Maritime security analysts say the killings mark the first reported deaths of seafarers at the hands of Somali pirates in more than a decade, underscoring the renewed threat to commercial shipping in the region, as SAFETY4SEA reports.
Conclusion
The deaths of Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari have cast a pall over what was otherwise a successful rescue of the MT Honour 25 after more than five months in captivity. With the Foreign Office now coordinating the repatriation of the bodies and care for the injured, attention turns to bringing every surviving Pakistani sailor home — and to whether the international community will act on the clear warning this tragedy sends about the return of Somali piracy.
