Five crew members killed as Puntland forces retake hijacked tanker

Five crew members, including an Indian sailor, were killed aboard a hijacked fuel tanker before Puntland maritime forces retook control of the vessel, authorities said. The Puntland Maritime Police Force said three Pakistani nationals, one Indian and one Myanmar national died early on Tuesday. The force later launched an operation to secure the Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 off Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia.

The maritime police said three Pakistani crew members and one Indian national were also wounded. It did not provide details about when or how the deaths occurred, but blamed the killings on pirates holding the vessel. The European Union Naval Force said the tanker had been hijacked in April while travelling towards Mogadishu with a cargo of oil products.

Reports said the vessel was carrying about 17 crew members, most of them Pakistani nationals. One account said the tanker carried 18,500 barrels of fuel and was hijacked on April 21. Puntland authorities said the operation successfully rescued MT Honour 25 and placed it under government control.

Sixteen suspected pirates were apprehended, while efforts to locate other suspected pirates continued, according to the force. In a separate development, pirates released the Togo-flagged tanker MT Eureka off Puntland. About 30 armed pirates reportedly left the vessel and handed all 12 crew members, including eight Egyptians and four Indians, to local residents unharmed.

The report said MT Eureka had been hijacked off Yemen in May while carrying 20,400 barrels of fuel. The vessel was damaged, parts were set on fire and some of its cargo was allegedly siphoned and sold during the months it was held. The supplied material did not say whether the two incidents were connected.