Pakistani tanker survivors moved to Garowe as Pakistan works on repatriation

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani survivors of a tanker hijacked by Somali pirates have been transferred to Garowe, the capital of Somalia’s semi‑autonomous Puntland region, the Foreign Office announced Thursday. The Pakistani government is coordinating efforts to repatriate the remaining crew after their release following more than five months in captivity.

The Palau‑flagged MT Honour 25 was seized off Puntland on 21 April while 17 crew members were aboard, 10 of them Pakistani nationals. This week, Puntland security forces reclaimed the vessel after the pirates had killed five sailors—three of whom were Pakistanis—and injured four others.

Foreign Office spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan confirmed the deaths of the three Pakistani nationals before providing details of the survivors.

“The surviving crew were first landed at Bandar Beyla and have now been safely transferred to Garowe, where the injured are receiving treatment,” he said during his weekly briefing.

He added that three of the four injured crew members are Pakistani nationals.

This update is the first official confirmation that the survivors have been moved from Bandar Beyla, where they had been held after the vessel’s recovery. Pakistan reported Wednesday that the injured are being treated at a nearby hospital and that embassy officials from Djibouti are en route to the coastal town to support the crew.

Khan said the government continues to liaise with Somali authorities and other stakeholders to “facilitate medical care for the injured, repatriate the remains, and ensure the safe return of the surviving Pakistani crew members.”

He named the deceased Pakistani nationals as Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umar and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.

Puntland’s maritime police reported on Tuesday that the five crew members were killed by the pirates prior to the rescue operation. An Indian national and a Myanmar national were also among those killed, and an Indian sailor was among the four wounded.

Puntland authorities stated that the vessel was secured and suspected pirates were apprehended, bringing an end to an ordeal that began in April.

Families of the Pakistani sailors had repeatedly sought assistance from Islamabad during the hostages’ captivity. Meanwhile, crew members had warned via a Pakistani rights group that the pirates threatened to kill the hostages if security forces attempted to reclaim the vessel.

The government has not yet provided a timeline for the return of the surviving Pakistani crew members or the repatriation of the bodies.

Source link