- Usman Khan
- October 5, 2026
Dar says three remaining Pakistani crew members of MT Honour 25 rescued
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- WEB DESK
- October 5, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Monday that three remaining Pakistani crew members of the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 have been rescued and flown to Addis Ababa, completing the recovery of all surviving Pakistani crew members after more than five months in captivity.
“The three sailors — Imran Ali, Muhammad Yasin and Syed Husain Yousuf — were rescued and taken to Addis Ababa accompanied by a team from the Embassy of Pakistan in Djibouti,” Dar said in a post on X.
“They will be received in Addis Ababa and, InshaAllah, depart for Pakistan on the first available Ethiopian Airlines flight to Karachi, expected on 7 October,” he said.
Dar expressed gratitude to the government of Somalia and the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation Atalanta for their assistance and cooperation in securing the release of the crew.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation to combat maritime piracy and safeguard the security and freedom of international maritime routes,” he said.
The latest development comes a day after four other Pakistani crew members injured during the operation to recover the vessel arrived in Karachi along with the mortal remains of three Pakistani sailors killed in the episode.
The four injured sailors — Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasir Khan — reached Karachi on October 4 after travelling from Addis Ababa. The remains of Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari were also brought back to Pakistan.
With the three sailors now in Addis Ababa, all 10 Pakistani nationals who were aboard the vessel have either been repatriated, are being repatriated or have been accounted for following the end of the hostage ordeal.
Five months in captivity
The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying petroleum products, was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on April 21.
The vessel had 17 crew members aboard, including 10 Pakistanis. The tanker was carrying about 18,500 barrels of oil and was seized around 30 nautical miles off the Puntland coast while sailing towards Mogadishu.
The pirates held the crew for more than five months as efforts continued to secure their release.
During their captivity, the Pakistani sailors and their families repeatedly appealed to the government for intervention. In August, crew members released distress messages saying they were facing deteriorating conditions, including shortages of food and medicine, and urged Pakistani authorities to engage with their captors.
Families of the Pakistani sailors also staged protests in Karachi, demanding urgent government action to secure the safe release of their relatives.
Reports said the pirates had demanded a ransom for the release of the crew and vessel, but no confirmed ransom payment or agreement was reached during the months-long captivity.
Rescue operation turns deadly
The hostage ordeal ended on September 29 when Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) launched an operation to recover the tanker in the Dharin-Bar area of Bandar Beyla district.
Puntland authorities said their forces secured the vessel and detained suspected pirates. However, five crew members were killed and four others injured in the episode.
The five dead included three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national, while three Pakistani and one Indian crew members were among those injured, according to reports from Somali authorities.
The Pakistani victims were later identified as Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari. The Foreign Office confirmed their deaths and said four Pakistani crew members were receiving medical treatment after being injured during the operation.
There have been differing accounts over precisely when the five crew members were killed. Puntland authorities said the pirates had killed them before the security operation began, while accounts from surviving crew members relayed through the Ansar Burney Trust said that the pirates opened fire as Puntland forces closed in on the vessel. The exact sequence has not been independently established.
The incident came after the Indonesian captain of MT Honour 25 had warned on September 25 that the pirates were threatening to kill the crew if any military operation was conducted against the vessel.
Families subsequently lost contact with the 10 Pakistani sailors, heightening fears for their safety.
The Puntland force ultimately secured the tanker and brought the surviving crew ashore.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said that its embassy team in Djibouti was assisting the Pakistani nationals and facilitating their medical treatment, repatriation and the transportation of the mortal remains.
The European Union Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta was also in the vicinity of the vessel and has been involved in monitoring and counter-piracy efforts in the region.
The recovery of MT Honour 25 was part of a wider series of anti-piracy operations by Puntland authorities following a resurgence of vessel hijackings off Somalia this year. The tanker was among several commercial vessels seized by Somali pirates since April, raising renewed concerns about maritime security in the region.
