Pakistan is working urgently to bring home the bodies of three sailors killed during a dramatic rescue operation that freed a hijacked oil tanker from Somali pirates but ended in tragedy for multiple crew members.
The Foreign Office confirmed Wednesday that Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer, and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari lost their lives when pirates opened fire on crew members aboard the MT Honour 25 as Puntland security forces closed in to end a five-month hostage ordeal. Two other crew members, one Indian and one from Myanmar, were also killed in the violence.
Four Pakistani sailors survived but sustained injuries and are receiving hospital treatment near the Somali port of Bandar Beyla, where the rescued crew was brought ashore. A Pakistani diplomatic team from the embassy in Djibouti is now traveling to the area to assist the survivors and coordinate the return of the deceased.
The petroleum tanker, flying a Palau flag, was seized by armed pirates on April 21 roughly 30 nautical miles off the Puntland coast. Of the 17 crew members aboard, 10 were Pakistani nationals working in the merchant navy, a profession that employs thousands of Pakistanis on international shipping routes.
Puntland authorities said their forces successfully freed the vessel and captured 16 pirates during the operation. However, as the rescue mission unfolded, the hijackers executed five hostages before abandoning the ship, according to statements from the regional information ministry.
Ansar Burney, a prominent human rights advocate whose organization had been monitoring the crisis, said his team repeatedly warned authorities that the crew’s lives were in danger and that conditions aboard the tanker were deteriorating. In his final communication before the rescue attempt, one of the victims reported that food, water, and essential supplies were running critically low.
Among the dead was Syed Kashif Umer, a second officer from Karachi’s Buffer Zone neighborhood who had dedicated 25 years to the merchant navy. Mourners began gathering at his family home as news of his death spread through the community.
The pirates had initially demanded a ransom of three million dollars, later reducing their demand to 1.9 million and then one million dollars. Pakistan had formally requested intervention from the International Maritime Organisation last month to secure the sailors’ release.
The incident highlights a troubling resurgence of piracy off the Somali coast. After a relative lull following a peak period between 2008 and 2014, maritime attacks in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean have climbed sharply this year, with at least 15 incidents reported, the highest annual total in over a decade.
Experts attribute the renewed threat to shifting regional dynamics, including geopolitical instability and rising oil prices that make petroleum tankers lucrative targets. During the earlier piracy wave, the disruption cost the global economy billions and generated hundreds of millions in ransom payments.
For Pakistan, the tragedy underscores the vulnerability of its seafarers working on international vessels in dangerous waters. Thousands of Pakistani sailors serve in the global merchant fleet, often on routes that pass through piracy-prone regions, and their families now face renewed anxiety over maritime security.
The Foreign Office said it remains in close contact with Somali authorities and other stakeholders to ensure proper medical care for the injured, facilitate the return of the deceased, and support the safe repatriation of all surviving Pakistani crew members.
