Somali forces recover oil tanker carrying Pakistani crewmen over 5 months after hijacking by pirates

Somali maritime police said on Tuesday that they had recovered an oil tanker, the MT Honour 25, which was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia on April 21, 2026.

The Honour 25 — a Palau-flagged oil tanker — had 17 crew members on board, including 10 Pakistanis.

“The naval and ground units of the Puntland Maritime Police Force conducted a planned operation in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district,” the maritime police said in a statement.

Dawn has contacted the Foreign Office for a comment.

Meanwhile, Ayesha Ameen, the wife of a fitter on the ship, told Dawn between sobs that there were reports of casualties among Pakistanis on the ship.

She said that they were not able to confirm the names of the deceased yet, but her husband, Ameen Bin Shams, was reportedly among the injured.

“We don’t know how bad the injuries are,” she said.

“We are trying to establish contact with the ship’s captain on the numbers that we have. But our calls are not being answered.

“As far as we know, the bodies are still on the ship, as are the injured. There is no one to tell us if they will be moved. We are going mad here,” she added.

Initial reports attributed to the crew suggest that there have been five deaths and four people have been injured.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.