Five crew members killed before Puntland forces retake hijacked tanker

Five crew members were killed aboard the hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 before Puntland security forces rescued the vessel, according to authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region. Puntland’s information ministry said the ship had been freed and 16 pirates captured. The tanker was flying the Palau flag and had 17 crew members aboard when it was seized in April.

The ministry said three Pakistani crew members, one from Myanmar and one from India were killed before the rescue operation began. Four other crew members, including three Pakistanis and one Indian, were injured. Puntland police said the vessel was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil when it was hijacked.

The reported deaths appear to be the first attributed to Somali pirates in more than a decade. The hijacking occurred during a resurgence of Somali piracy that experts have partly linked to the effects of the Iran war, including higher oil prices that make tankers more attractive targets. The rescue followed a separate operation the previous week in which Puntland maritime police freed the US-sanctioned tanker Sibu 1.

One pirate was killed, four wounded and 15 captured in that operation, while its 20 crew members were rescued safely. However, 28 of 41 pirates arrested in the Sibu 1 operation later escaped while being transferred to jail. Puntland security officials accused local police of involvement.

Puntland officials said two other hijacked tankers, MT Eureka and MT Asana, remained in pirate hands after being moved south towards Hobyo in neighbouring Galmudug state. A previous piracy wave from 2008 to 2014 disrupted a major shipping route and generated extensive ransom payments.