Indian sailor among five dead in Somalia tanker hijack

An Indian sailor was among five crew members killed and another injured by pirates aboard a hijacked fuel tanker in Somalia, authorities said, as security forces of the African nation retook control of the vessel.

The High Commission of India in Kenya in a social media post on Wednesday said it is “deeply saddened by the tragic death” of the Indian crew member on board MT Honour, who “lost his life reportedly at the hands of pirates during the counter-piracy operation conducted by the Puntland Maritime Police Force”. 

Puntland is a semi-autonomous state of Somalia. The mission, which manages diplomatic representation for Somalia through concurrent accreditation, said it is in touch with the family of the deceased Indian national and is extending all possible assistance, including arrangements for repatriation of his mortal remains.

“All other Indian seafarers on board are reportedly safe, including those on MT Sibu 1 and MT Eureka, which have also been recently rescued,” it said. There were 16 Indian seafarers aboard MT Sibu 1 and four aboard MT Eureka.
While the US-sanctioned Eritrea-flagged oil tanker Sibu 1 was freed by maritime police in Somalia’s Puntland region last week after being held by pirates for over a month, Togo-flagged vessel MT Eureka was released on Tuesday.

The High Commission said it remained in close touch with the Somali authorities regarding the safety, well-being and repatriation of the Indian sailors.

“The welfare and safety of Indian seafarers is of utmost importance to the Government of India,” it said.

The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) said three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national were killed early on Tuesday, before its forces launched an operation to secure the Palau-flagged tanker MT Honour 25, news portal Somalia Today reported Three Pakistani crew members and one Indian national were also wounded, it said.

PMPF blamed the deaths on the Somali pirates holding the vessel off the coast of Puntland but did not provide details on how or when the crew members were killed.
Though there was no official confirmation of the identity of the deceased Indian sailor, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), which represents seafarers and works for their rights, indicated in a social media post that he could be Mohammed Tanweeruz Zaman, a cook aboard MT Honour 25.