Five Crew Members, Including Three Pakistanis, Killed in Attack on Hijacked Ship

The Pakistani crew members killed in the attack were identified as Second Officer Kashif Umar, Third Engineer Mahmood Ansari and Oiler Rafiullah Khan. An Indian national, Tanveer, and the vessel’s chief engineer from Myanmar were also among those killed.

According to sources, the vessel was carrying crew members from Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Indonesia. Second Engineer Muhammad Hussain Yousaf told media that four crew members were injured in the attack. They were identified as Fourth Engineer Usman, Aqeel, Amin and an Indonesian national.

Yousaf said the ship’s steering system was also damaged during the attack and that the vessel was being towed by another ship.

He said the bodies of those killed were lying exposed to the heat, while the injured crew members had yet to receive medical treatment. He appealed to the government for immediate assistance, saying a helicopter was urgently needed to evacuate the injured and transport the bodies.

According to Yousaf, communication between the crew and their families had also been cut off. The vessel was reportedly being taken to Wasuko, a journey that could take around three days.

The Honor 25 had previously attracted attention after a video of its Pakistani crew emerged in April. The footage reportedly showed Pakistani crew members confined to a small room in poor conditions.

Reports said around a dozen people had been confined to the room, including 11 Pakistani nationals, some of whom were reportedly from Karachi. The video caused concern among the families of the crew members.

According to earlier reports, armed men hijacked the Honor 25 near the Somali coast. Security officials said six armed men seized the vessel around 30 nautical miles offshore. At the time, the ship was carrying 17 people, including an Indonesian captain and 11 Pakistani crew members.

Families of the abducted crew members had remained concerned about the safety of their relatives. The family of Second Engineer Syed Hussain said he had left Karachi in January and had been unable to contact his family since the reported hijacking.