Four Pakistani crew members rescued from pirates off Somalia

Four of 10 Pakistani crew members held hostage by pirates aboard a vessel off Somalia have been rescued and are due to arrive in Karachi on Saturday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

Dar said on “X” that the rescue followed sustained efforts by Pakistan’s Foreign Office and its embassy in Djibouti. The bodies of three Pakistani crew members who died are also being repatriated.

“My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families, who are going through a deeply painful time,” Dar said.

Three other Pakistani crew members and the vessel’s captain remain aboard, according to the foreign minister. Pakistan is coordinating with what Dar called friendly countries to arrange their safe extraction and return.

What happened to the vessel?

The Palau-flagged oil tanker “Honour 25” was hijacked off Somalia’s northern coast on April 21 while travelling to Mogadishu, according to the EU Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta.

The vessel had 17 crew members on board.