Bodies of Three Pakistanis Killed in Somalia Pirate Rescue Reach Addis Ababa for Repatriation to Karachi
By Mehak, Najeeb — SCN News
ISLAMABAD — The bodies of three Pakistani sailors killed during an operation to recover a hijacked oil tanker off Somalia have reached Addis Ababa, bringing their families closer to the end of a five-month ordeal that began with a pirate seizure and ended with gunfire during an attempt to free the vessel. Pakistani authorities are coordinating with Ethiopian Airlines to complete the remaining formalities before the bodies are flown to Karachi. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed officials to accelerate the process and remain in direct contact with the bereaved families.
The three Pakistanis have been identified as Syed Kashif Umar, Mahmood Ahmed Ansari and Rafiullah Khan. Their remains were transferred from Somalia to the Ethiopian capital as part of a repatriation route arranged by Pakistani diplomatic officials, with Addis Ababa providing a direct air connection to Pakistan. Final clearance for the Karachi flight is expected after airline and local requirements are completed.
The repatriation is the final stage of a hostage crisis that began in April when pirates seized the MT Honour 25 off the Somali coast. The tanker was carrying thousands of barrels of oil and a multinational crew that included 10 Pakistanis, leaving their families waiting for months as negotiations and efforts to secure their release continued. Pakistani officials remained in contact with regional authorities as the captivity stretched through much of the year.
The crisis ended violently when Puntland security forces moved to recover the tanker earlier this week. According to authorities in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, pirates opened fire on crew members during the operation before security forces regained control of the vessel. Five sailors were killed, including the three Pakistanis, while other crew members suffered injuries.
The deaths turned what families had hoped would become a long-awaited rescue into a national tragedy. Pakistani officials had spent months working for the crew's return, and relatives had repeatedly sought government intervention while the sailors remained in captivity. The eventual recovery of the vessel therefore secured freedom for survivors but came at a devastating cost for the families of those killed.
Pakistan's diplomatic mission moved quickly after the operation to coordinate with authorities in the region. Foreign Office officials said Pakistan's ambassador responsible for the area traveled toward Addis Ababa while diplomatic personnel in Somalia maintained contact with injured survivors and handled arrangements involving the deceased. Ethiopian Airlines was selected for the onward journey because of its direct connection from Addis Ababa to Pakistan.
The Prime Minister's Office said relevant institutions remain in continuous contact to complete the transfer as quickly as possible. The government has not announced a final arrival time in Karachi because the flight depends on completion of documentation, handling requirements and airline clearance. Authorities have emphasized that the bodies will be dispatched once those procedures are finished rather than giving families a timetable that could change.
Sharif has also announced a broader assistance package for the families of the three sailors, moving the government's response beyond repatriation. Each family is to receive Rs12.5 million in financial assistance, while the government has promised a house and free education and healthcare for the children of the deceased. The prime minister has instructed relevant ministries and diplomatic officials to maintain direct communication with the families while those commitments are implemented.
Sharif personally spoke with the son of Syed Kashif Umar and expressed condolences over his father's death. During the conversation, he assured the family that the government would take the necessary steps to bring all three bodies back to Pakistan as quickly as possible. He also directed authorities to ensure treatment for injured Pakistanis and the safe return of surviving crew members.
The financial and family-support measures give the aftermath of the MT Honour 25 attack a significance extending beyond the immediate transport of the bodies. Families spent months living with uncertainty while their relatives were held by pirates, only to learn that three of the Pakistani hostages had been killed during the operation intended to end their captivity. Government assistance will now be measured not only by the speed of repatriation but also by whether the longer-term commitments to those families are delivered.
The incident has also drawn renewed attention to maritime piracy off Somalia after years in which international naval patrols had sharply reduced successful hijackings. Puntland has faced a series of recent maritime security incidents, forcing local forces to conduct operations against pirates operating along the region's lengthy coastline. The seizure of an oil tanker with a multinational crew demonstrates that commercial vessels and seafarers remain vulnerable when armed groups are able to operate offshore.
For Pakistan, that threat has a particular human dimension because thousands of Pakistani seafarers work aboard commercial vessels operating far from home. Hijackings can leave governments dependent on foreign authorities, shipping companies and regional security forces to negotiate access, treatment and eventual repatriation. The MT Honour 25 case shows how quickly those situations can move from prolonged captivity to lethal violence when an armed recovery operation begins.
Questions surrounding the rescue itself may remain after the bodies return home. Puntland authorities say pirates killed crew members as security forces moved against them, while the vessel was ultimately recovered and suspected pirates were detained. Establishing the precise sequence of events could become important for the families seeking to understand how months of captivity ended with their relatives being killed just as the tanker was being freed.
The surviving crew members may eventually provide additional information about conditions aboard the vessel, the pirates' behavior during captivity and the final confrontation. Their accounts could help authorities reconstruct the operation and clarify what happened in the moments before the hostages were shot. For now, Pakistan's immediate priority remains treatment of the injured, return of survivors and repatriation of the three men who did not make it home alive.
The arrival of the bodies in Addis Ababa marks significant progress in that process but does not complete it. Ethiopian Airlines and Pakistani authorities must finish the remaining procedures before the coffins can be placed aboard the flight to Karachi, where the families will finally receive the remains of relatives they had spent more than five months hoping would return safely.
Their return will close the geographical journey from Somalia but not the consequences of the hijacking. The government has promised financial assistance, homes and long-term support for the victims' children, while the maritime attack raises wider questions about protection for Pakistani sailors operating through piracy-prone waters. After months dominated by efforts to secure the hostages' freedom, the focus has now shifted to bringing the dead home, caring for the survivors and supporting the families left behind.