Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Monday that the final three Pakistani crew members aboard the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 have been rescued and flown to Addis Ababa, marking the completion of the recovery of all surviving Pakistani crew after more than five months of captivity.
The rescued sailors—Imran Ali, Muhammad Yasin, and Syed Husain Yousuf—were accompanied by a team from the Pakistani Embassy in Djibouti to Addis Ababa. They are expected to depart for Pakistan on the earliest Ethiopian Airlines flight to Karachi, anticipated on October 7.
Dar expressed his appreciation to the Somali government and the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation Atalanta for their crucial support and collaboration in securing the crew’s release. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing bilateral and multilateral efforts to combat maritime piracy and protect international shipping lanes.
This development follows the arrival in Karachi on October 4 of four other Pakistani crew members who were injured during the recovery operation, along with the mortal remains of three Pakistani sailors who lost their lives in the incident. The injured sailors—Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams, and Yasir Khan—were transported from Addis Ababa, while the deceased were identified as Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari.
With the recent rescue, all 10 Pakistani nationals who were aboard the MT Honour 25 have now either been repatriated or accounted for following the end of the hostage crisis.
The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying approximately 18,500 barrels of petroleum products, was seized by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on April 21. The vessel had 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis, and was en route to Mogadishu when hijacked about 30 nautical miles off Puntland.
During the five-month captivity, the Pakistani sailors and their families repeatedly urged the government to intervene. In August, the crew sent distress signals citing worsening conditions, including shortages of food and medicine, and called for engagement with their captors. Families of the sailors also held protests in Karachi demanding urgent government action for their safe release.
Reports indicated that the pirates had demanded a ransom for the release of the vessel and crew, but no confirmed ransom payment or agreement was reached throughout the prolonged ordeal.
In a significant development, the hostage situation ended on September 29 when the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) launched an operation to retake the tanker in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district. The operation resulted in the vessel’s recovery and the detention of suspected pirates.
Tragically, five crew members were killed and four others injured during the operation. The deceased included three Pakistanis, one Indian, and one Myanmar national, while among the injured were three Pakistanis and one Indian. The Pakistani victims were later identified as Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari. The Foreign Office confirmed their deaths and noted that four Pakistani crew members were receiving medical treatment following injuries sustained during the operation.
Conflicting accounts exist regarding the timing of the deaths. Puntland authorities stated the pirates killed the crew members before the security operation commenced, while surviving crew members conveyed through the Ansar Burney Trust reported that pirates opened fire as Puntland forces approached the vessel. The precise sequence remains unverified.
Prior to the operation, the Indonesian captain of MT Honour 25 had warned on September 25 that the pirates threatened to kill the crew if any military action was taken against the vessel. Subsequently, families lost contact with the 10 Pakistani sailors, raising serious concerns for their safety.
The Puntland force successfully secured the tanker and brought the surviving crew ashore. Throughout, Pakistan’s Foreign Office coordinated with its embassy team in Djibouti to assist the nationals, facilitate medical care, repatriation, and arrange transportation of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the European Union Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta was active in the area, contributing to monitoring and counter-piracy measures. The recovery of MT Honour 25 was part of a broader series of anti-piracy operations by Puntland authorities, responding to a resurgence of hijackings off the Somali coast this year.
The tanker’s seizure was among several commercial vessels hijacked since April, underscoring ongoing concerns about maritime security in the region.
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