Somali Pirates Kill Five Crew on Hijacked Tanker
Puntland forces detained 16 suspected pirates after retaking the tanker, and officials said pirates killed five crew members before the rescue.
- On Tuesday, Puntland Security Force rescued the tanker Honour 25, which pirates had held captive since April 21, following an exchange of fire with armed gunmen approximately 30 nautical miles off the Somali coast.
- Five crew members were killed and four others injured after pirates opened fire while retreating, according to survivors and the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust; deceased included three Pakistani nationals, one Indian, and one Myanmar national.
- Second Engineer Hussain Yousuf reported that pirates damaged the ship's steering system before fleeing; a Somali naval vessel is currently towing the Honour 25 to shore, a process expected to take at least two days.
- The hijacking began on April 21 when pirates seized the vessel 30 nautical miles off the Somali coast; ransom demands initially reached $3 million before reducing to $1.9 million and then $1 million during captivity.
- This rescue follows a similar Puntland operation last week freeing the tanker Sibu 1, as the International Maritime Organisation reports at least 15 piracy attacks this year, the highest frequency since 2013.
128 Articles
128 Articles
The Toronto Star
Police in Somalia say pirates killed 5 crew members of a hijacked tanker
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Pirates killed five crew members of a hijacked fuel tanker before security forces retook the vessel off Somalia, authorities in the country’s semiautonomous Puntland region said.
Puntland region authorities claim that they were killed "before the start of the boarding operation"
(Johannesburg=Yonhap News) Correspondent Na Hak-jin = Two ships hijacked by Somali pirates were rescued by authorities in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia.
Family pleads for return of Indian sailor killed on ship seized off Somalia
NEW DELHI: An Indian sailor was among five crew members killed aboard a fuel tanker retaken from pirates off the coast of Somalia, his family confirmed on Wednesday, pleading with authorities to help repatriate his remains. The Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 was seized by pirates off Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region on April 21 with 17 people aboard. It was transporting about 18,500 barrels of oil en route to the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The…
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