Somali Pirates Killed Five Tanker Crew Before Rescue, Official Says
Puntland authorities retook the MT Hoarner 25, which was carrying oil to Mogadishu, arresting 16 suspects.
Five crew members of an oil tanker seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia were killed before regional security forces rescued the vessel, a senior Puntland official told the BBC. The tanker, MT Hoarner 25, was carrying approximately 18,500 barrels of oil destined for the Somali capital when it was hijacked in April by six armed men.
Puntland Deputy Information Minister Bile Qabowsade stated that the five deceased crew members included three Pakistani nationals, one Indian, and one national from Myanmar. Four other crew members sustained injuries, including three Pakistanis and one Indian.
Regional forces boarded the MT Hoarner 25 and arrested 16 suspected pirates. Officials reported that some pirates escaped and were being pursued. Qabowsade denied claims that Puntland forces assisted any pirates in their escape. The authorities have not released further details regarding the circumstances of the crew's deaths or how the pirates initially gained control of the vessel.
The hijacked tanker was anchored near the Somali coast between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla. Reports from April indicated a crew of 17 individuals, comprising 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan, and a national from Myanmar.
Piracy incidents off the Somali coast had significantly decreased after 2011, following international naval operations. However, recent years have seen an increase in attacks and hijackings.