SOMALI FORCES RETAKE HIJACKED TANKER AFTER PIRATES KILL FIVE CREW MEMBERS

September 30, 2026

Somali security forces have regained control of the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 after an operation off the coast of Puntland, but the rescue ended with five crew members dead and four others injured.

Puntland authorities said the five sailors were killed by the pirates before security forces began their assault on the vessel. The victims included one Indian, three Pakistani and one Myanmar national. Three Pakistani sailors and another Indian crew member were also reported injured.

The Palau-flagged tanker, carrying petroleum products, had been seized by pirates on April 21 while sailing towards Somalia. The vessel had remained under pirate control for more than five months, with the crew reportedly facing shortages of food, water and medical supplies during their captivity.

Puntland Maritime Police Force personnel subsequently stormed the vessel and secured the tanker. Authorities said a number of suspected pirates were captured during the operation, while security forces continued searching for others who fled towards the coast.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain disputed. Puntland authorities said the crew members were killed before the security operation began, while other accounts attributed to surviving crew members suggested that the deaths occurred during the confrontation between the pirates and security forces.

The tanker rescue comes amid renewed concerns over Somali piracy, which had declined sharply after international naval patrols and improved security measures reduced attacks in the region. Recent incidents, however, have demonstrated that armed groups continue to pose a threat to commercial shipping operating near the Somali coast.

The surviving crew members are now being secured by the authorities as investigations continue into the hijacking, the deaths and the wider network behind the maritime attack