Five crew members killed by Somali pirates on hijacked tanker, authorities report

Authorities reported that five crew members were killed by pirates on the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Honour 25 off the coast of Somalia. This incident marks the first reported deaths attributed to Somali pirates in over a decade. The tanker was seized on April 21 and was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil. The Puntland Information Ministry stated that a rescue operation freed the ship and captured 16 suspected pirates. Among those killed were three crew members from Pakistan, one from Myanmar, and one from India. Four additional crew members were reported injured. The Puntland Maritime Police Force confirmed that the vessel is now under government control and efforts are ongoing to locate others involved in the hijacking. This incident follows a recent operation in which Somali pirates hijacked the Sibu 1 tanker, with 28 of the 41 pirates arrested in that operation later escaping during transport. Since April, at least 15 piracy attacks have been reported off the coast of Somalia. A previous wave of piracy from 2008 to 2014 significantly disrupted global shipping routes and resulted in substantial economic losses.