Four of the 10 Pakistani crew members caught up in the hijacking of MV Honour 25 off Somalia have been safely retrieved and are scheduled to reach Karachi tomorrow (Saturday), Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday.
In a post on X, Dar said that the four crew members - Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Amin bin Shams and Usman Ghani - were retrieved following efforts by the foreign ministry and Pakistan's embassy in Djibouti.
"The mortal remains of the three Pakistani crew members (Late Rafi Ullah Khan, Late Syed Kashif Umer and Late Mahmood Ahmed Ansari) who tragically lost their lives are being repatriated to Pakistan," he added. Dar extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who lost their lives during the recovery operation of hijacked MT Honour 25.
Puntland's information ministry said earlier this week that forces had successfully freed the tanker and captured 16 pirates during the rescue operation. However, before the operation began, the pirates killed five crew members - three Pakistanis, one from Myanmar and one from India. The Palau-flagged tanker had been seized by pirates on April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off Puntland's coast, with 17 crew members aboard, including 10 Pakistani nationals.