By Asha Elmi - Reporter
BOSASO, Somalia, September 29, 2026 - Puntland maritime forces have retaken the MT Honour 25 after pirates held the vessel for more than five months, capturing 21 suspected pirates in an operation, the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) said on Tuesday.
PMPF said some members of the pirate group fled during the operation and that security forces were pursuing them.
The pirates killed five crew members before the operation began, PMPF said. The dead included three Pakistani nationals, one Myanmar national and one Indian national, it said.
Four other crew members were wounded, including three Pakistanis and one Indian, according to PMPF.
The force said it had obtained information on the whereabouts of the escaped pirates and was conducting operations to capture them.
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The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was hijacked on April 21 off the coast of Puntland while sailing toward Mogadishu. The vessel had 17 crew members on board at the time, including 10 Pakistani nationals, according to earlier international reporting.
Reports in the days before the Puntland operation said the crew remained in the hands of the pirates, while families of the Pakistani crew members had expressed concern about their relatives' safety.
PMPF said the vessel and its cargo were now safe and under the control of Puntland forces.
Puntland authorities said operations would continue to pursue the escaped pirates and others involved in piracy, adding that those found responsible would face legal action.