Nearly 40 days after Somali pirates hijacked the oil tanker Honour 25 near the Somali coast, nearly a dozen Pakistani crew members remain in captivity. The vessel was seized on April 21, with 17 crew members taken hostage, including 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, and one Myanmar national.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs confirmed the incident and immediately initiated efforts to secure the crew’s safe return. Despite ongoing negotiations, no hostages have been released so far. The tanker remains anchored off Somalia as talks continue.
In a significant development, the Somali government is liaising with the pirates through the ship’s owner to facilitate the release of the hostages. Initially, the pirates demanded a ransom of $10 million, which was later reduced to $4 million, but discussions have yet to produce a breakthrough.
Family members of the Pakistani crew have expressed increasing anxiety over their loved ones’ wellbeing. Ambreen Yousuf, wife of second engineer Shohar Hussain Yousuf, shared a video message revealing that her husband reported deteriorating conditions aboard the vessel, including engine failure and illness among the crew. She urged the government to intensify efforts to ensure their safe and prompt return.
Diplomatic channels confirm that Somalia has assured Pakistan of its commitment to engage with the pirates and has formally communicated with the Pakistani government regarding the situation.
In a related context, Somali pirates captured a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship and its 23 crew members earlier in 2024, releasing them after receiving a substantial ransom delivered by air. This incident, among others, has raised concerns about a resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean, exploiting security gaps following the withdrawal of international naval forces.
Piracy off Somalia’s coast was rampant in the 2000s, peaking in 2011 with hundreds of attacks, but had declined significantly due to international naval patrols and improved commercial shipping tactics. However, recent weeks have seen an uptick in attacks, the European Union’s naval mission, Operation Atalanta, which monitored three attacks in late April.
Meanwhile, since February 28, maritime activity in the region has also been affected by the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, though there is no immediate evidence linking the recent hijacking to this conflict. Notably, in March, a tanker was seized in the Gulf of Aden by a new pirate group operating from Garacad in Puntland, northeastern Somalia, highlighting the evolving threat in the area.
