KARACHI: Four Pakistani sailors injured during an operation to recover a hijacked oil tanker off Somalia have left Addis Ababa for Karachi. The remains of three crew members killed during the episode are also being repatriated.
The seven are expected to arrive in Karachi on Sunday evening aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 694.
Pakistan’s ambassadors to Djibouti and Ethiopia saw off the injured sailors of MT Honour 25: Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasir Khan.
They were accompanied by the remains of Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.
Tanker Hijacked in April
The seven were among 10 Pakistanis aboard MT Honour 25 when Somali pirates hijacked the vessel in April. Its crew also included seven Indonesians, one Indian and one Sri Lankan.
For nearly five months, negotiations made little progress. The pirates reportedly demanded a ransom of around $3 million.
Concerns also grew over the hostages’ deteriorating health. In several emotional videos and audio messages, crew members said they had run out of clean water, food and medicine.
The FO maintained that it remained actively engaged in efforts to secure their release.
Somali Forces Recover Vessel
Somali maritime police recovered the Palau-flagged tanker on September 29. Reports later emerged of casualties among the crew.
Authorities said 21 suspected pirates were arrested, while efforts to locate the remaining suspects continued.
According to one account, the pirates killed five crew members before the security operation began. The dead included three Pakistanis, one Myanmar national and one Indian.
However, Advocate Quratulain of the Ansar Burney Trust gave a different account.
She said the pirates moved the hostages onto the deck after learning that Puntland forces were approaching. They tied the hostages’ hands and threatened to kill them if police came closer without paying the ransom.
Quratulain said the ransom demand had fallen from $3 million to $1 million by that stage.
She added that the pirates opened fire on the hostages as security forces began their operation, killing three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national.
Relief for Families
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a relief package worth Rs12.5 million for the families of the deceased sailors.
