Somali maritime police have freed the hijacked oil tanker ‘Honor 25’ in Puntland, though pirate gunfire during the rescue operation left five crew members dead, including three Pakistani nationals.
Somali maritime security forces have successfully rescued a hijacked oil tanker in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, but the operation turned fatal when pirates opened fire on the crew, killing five foreign nationals, including three Pakistanis.
According to the Ansar Burney Trust and local maritime authorities, the Palau-flagged oil tanker *Honor 25*, which was carrying approximately 18,500 barrels of fuel when it was seized in April, was the target of a joint land and sea operation conducted by the Puntland Maritime Police Force in the Dhareen Bar area of the Bandar Beyla district.
During the rescue raid, pirates opened fire on the vessel, resulting in the deaths of three Pakistani citizens, one Indian national, and one citizen of Myanmar. Four other Pakistani crew members sustained injuries during the exchange.
Authorities confirmed that the tanker’s crew included a total of 10 Pakistani nationals. Somali police stated that security forces successfully rescued 17 surviving crew members and apprehended nine suspected pirates involved in the hijacking.
Initial reports from regional officials indicated that the vessel was transporting fuel supplies at the time of its seizure before security forces launched the operation to regain control of the ship.
