3 Pakistanis among 5 crew lost during operation to recover ship hijacked by Somali pirates, FO confirms

The Foreign Office (FO) mourned the loss of three Pakistani crew members during the operation to recover the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 off the coast of Somalia. The tanker, operated by Palau, had 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis. The FO confirmed that the deceased were Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.

Four crew members, three of whom were Pakistani, sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for medical care. The surviving crew were safely brought ashore at Bandar Beyla, a town in Puntland. Pakistan's embassy in Djibouti is assisting the surviving crew members and their families. The Puntland Maritime Police Force recovered the tanker through a joint operation with naval and ground units.

Twenty-one suspected pirates were apprehended, and efforts to locate the remaining pirates continue. The incident highlights the ongoing threat of Somali piracy, with at least 15 attacks occurring since April, the highest since 2013.