Pirate Attack on Fuel Tanker Off Somalia Coast

Somali pirates who hijacked a fuel tanker killed five crew members during an operation to retake the vessel off the coast of Puntland. The deceased included one Indian sailor, three Pakistani nationals and one Myanmar citizen. Another Indian sailor and three Pakistanis were seriously injured in the attack. The vessel, MT Honor 25, was carrying around 18,500 barrels of fuel and was sailing towards Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, when it was hijacked on April 21. At the time, there were 17 crew members on board.

The Puntland Maritime Police Force launched a special operation on Tuesday to regain control of the tanker. When the pirates noticed the security forces surrounding the vessel, they reportedly opened fire on the crew, killing five sailors and seriously injuring four others. The security forces subsequently carried out a counter-operation, successfully taking control of the vessel and arresting 16 suspected pirates, according to the details provided by the European Union naval force.