Somali pirates kill five crew on hijacked tanker as Puntland retakes vessel
Puntland security forces have retaken the oil tanker MT Hoarner 25 after it was seized by suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, with officials saying five crew members were killed before the rescue. The vessel had been held near the Somali coast since April, anchored between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla. Authorities said the tanker was carrying about 18,500 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu.
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Puntland Deputy Information Minister Bile Qabowsade said the dead included three Pakistani nationals, one Indian national and one national of Myanmar. He said four other crew members were injured, including three Pakistanis and one Indian. Officials said 16 suspected pirates were arrested after the vessel was brought back under government control, while others escaped and were being pursued.
The incident adds to concern over a renewed piracy threat in waters off Somalia, where attacks had fallen sharply after 2011 following international naval operations. Officials said the tanker was seized in April by six armed men, and earlier accounts said there were 17 crew members on board at the time of the hijacking. The latest case is being treated as especially serious because it involves confirmed deaths, injuries and a prolonged hostage situation on a commercial vessel.
The killings also come as Puntland security forces have stepped up patrols amid increasing pirate attacks off the Somali coast. The region's maritime police have recently been involved in other anti-piracy operations, including the freeing of another tanker last week. That wider pattern suggests local authorities are facing a growing challenge in preventing hijackings and in holding suspects after rescue operations.
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Officials have not said how the five crew members were killed or exactly how the pirates maintained control of the tanker for so long. It is also unclear whether all those involved in the hijacking have now been detained, and what charges they may face. The condition of the injured crew members has not been fully detailed, and authorities have not said how long the vessel will remain under Puntland control.
The case is likely to keep attention on maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and the wider waters off Somalia, where piracy once disrupted a major international shipping route. It also raises questions about the ability of regional forces to respond quickly enough to protect crews and cargoes, and to secure suspects after an operation. For now, the confirmed facts point to a deadly hijacking, a rescue operation and an ongoing search for those who escaped.
Somali authorities say pirates killed five crew members aboard the Palau-flagged tanker MT Honour 25 before a rescue operation freed the vessel off the coast of Somalia. The incident was announced on Tuesday by officials in Puntland, the semiautonomous region where the operation took place. Authorities said the ship had been seized on 21 April and was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil.
The Puntland Information Ministry said a rescue mission captured 16 suspected pirates and brought the tanker back under government control. The ministry said the killings happened before the operation began. It said the dead crew members included three people from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India.
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Four other crew members, three Pakistanis and one Indian, were injured in the attack. The Puntland Maritime Police Force said the vessel was safe and under government control after the operation. Officials also said efforts were continuing to identify and detain others involved in the hijacking.
The rescue came after another operation last week in which the maritime police freed the tanker Sibu 1, which had also been hijacked by Somali pirates. The killings are being described by officials as the first attributed to Somali pirates in more than a decade. That makes the case significant beyond the immediate loss of life, because it points to a renewed threat to shipping in waters that were once among the world's most dangerous.
A previous wave of piracy between 2008 and 2014 disrupted a major global trade route, drove up security costs and led to large ransom payments. Officials and analysts have linked the recent rise in attacks to wider instability at sea, and authorities said at least 15 attacks have been reported off Somalia since April. The latest incident also comes after the Sibu 1 operation exposed weaknesses in detention and transfer procedures, when 28 of 41 arrested pirates later escaped while being moved to jail.
Puntland security officials accused local police of complicity in that case. What remains unclear is whether all those involved in the MT Honour 25 hijacking have been detained and what charges they may face. It is also not yet clear how the injured crew members are being treated or whether the vessel will remain in Puntland custody.
The case is likely to intensify scrutiny of maritime security in the region and of the ability of local forces to hold suspects after rescue operations.
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