The MT Hoarner 25, an oil tanker carrying 18,500 barrels destined for Mogadishu, was seized by six armed men off the coast of Somalia in April. Five crew members—three Pakistanis, an Indian, and a Myanmar national—were killed before the vessel was boarded by Puntland security forces.
Puntland Deputy Information Minister Bile Qabowsade confirmed the casualties and said that four other crew members sustained injuries, including three Pakistanis and one Indian. Sixteen suspected pirates were arrested, while some escaped and remain at large.
The hijacked tanker had been anchored between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla. Earlier this year, it was reported that 17 crew members were aboard, comprising 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan, and one Myanmar national.
Despite the decline in piracy following 2011's international naval operations, attacks in the region have resurged, raising concerns over maritime security along Somalia's coast.
Image: Puntland security forces patrol the waters after the recapture of the MT Hoarner 25.
