Piracy off Somalia, which declined sharply after international intervention in 2011, has begun to re-emerge in recent years
Islamabad (AX) — Somali pirates are seeking $3 million to free 10 Pakistani sailors held since April after an oil tanker was hijacked off Somalia, Pakistan’s minister for parliamentary affairs told lawmakers Wednesday.
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Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the National Assembly that the case presented a complex challenge, cautioning that a ransom payment could carry broader consequences amid limited government control in parts of Somalia.
He was responding to a calling-attention notice in the National Assembly.
The Pakistani sailors are part of the crew of the MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged oil tanker seized by armed pirates off Puntland State.
Seven Indonesian crew members, including the vessel’s captain, along with one Indian and one Sri Lankan national, are also being held hostage.
The pirates have put the crew’s release price at approximately $3 million. No progress in negotiations or ransom payment has been reported.
Security officials said six armed men captured the tanker roughly 30 nautical miles from Somalia’s coastline.
Puntland State security officials said the vessel was carrying an estimated 18,500 barrels of oil at the time of the hijacking.
Vessel tracking data showed that the Honour 25 left North Western State of Somalia’s port of Berbera on Feb. 20 before later sailing near the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The seizure reflects a broader revival of piracy in Somali waters, where attacks had dropped dramatically after peaking in 2011.
International naval patrols and stronger security measures aboard commercial ships kept piracy substantially lower for more than a decade. In recent years, however, attacks targeting commercial and fishing vessels have started to rise again.
The renewed activity has intensified concerns over security along one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors, as well as the possible consequences of additional hijackings for regional trade and fuel supplies.
