In a tragic epilogue to the pirate seizure of the Palau-flagged tanker MT Honour 25, five seafarers were killed before Somali security forces intervened to retake the vessel off the coast of Somalia, Puntland authorities said.
The rescue of the tanker MT Honour 25 off Somalia has brought a deadly pirate seizure to an end, but only after five seafarers lost their lives – a tragic end to an attack that has renewed concerns over the return of Somali piracy.The tanker, carrying about 18,500 barrels of petroleum products, was seized by pirates on April 21. Puntland’s Ministry of Information said a subsequent rescue operation freed the vessel and resulted in the capture of 16 suspected pirates.
“Before the operation began, the pirates on board the ship killed five of the crew,” the ministry said in a statement.
The victims were identified as three Pakistani nationals, one from Myanmar and one from India.
Four other crew members—three Pakistanis and one Indian—were injured during the incident, according to the authorities.
The Puntland Maritime Police Force said in a social media post that the vessel was safe and under government control, while security forces continued efforts to identify and apprehend other individuals believed to have been involved in the hijacking.The killings appear to mark the first reported deaths of seafarers at the hands of Somali pirates in more than a decade, underscoring concerns over the renewed threat to commercial shipping in the region.
The incident comes amid a resurgence in Somali piracy, with maritime security experts pointing to a combination of regional instability and the disruption of security conditions at sea as contributing factors.
The rescue of MT Honour 25 follows another recent Puntland security operation involving the Sibu 1, a tanker under U.S. sanctions that had reportedly been hijacked by Somali pirates in August. Although 41 suspected pirates were initially arrested in that operation, 28 later escaped while being transferred to prison.
Several Puntland security officials subsequently alleged that local police had been involved in facilitating the escape.
At least 15 pirate attacks have been reported in waters off Somalia since April, according to officials, highlighting the renewed security concerns facing vessels transiting the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
Somali piracy previously reached its peak between 2008 and 2014, when attacks disrupted one of the world’s major maritime trade routes.
The crisis imposed billions of dollars in costs on the global economy and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom payments.
The latest developments have also renewed international concern over seafarers being held captive in Somali waters. In July, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez called for urgent international action to secure the safe release of 44 seafarers held by pirates and armed robbers in the region, among them, the crew of MT Honour 25.
Source: Safety4sea
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BREAKING: Puntland Maritime Police Force (#PMPF) has rescued the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour (Honour 25) off the coast of Bandarbayla, Puntland forces say. The vessel, carrying 18,500 barrels of fuel bound for Mogadishu, was hijacked by pirates on April 21.
— The Daily Somalia (@TheDailySomalia) September 29, 2026
Security… pic.twitter.com/W4hJeeoTe5
