Bodies of Pakistanis killed in Somalia being repatriated, arrive in Addis Ababa: PMO

Says arrangements are under way to bring back the bodies of three Pakistanis killed in Somalia

The bodies of three Pakistanis killed in an operation to recover a hijacked oil tanker off the Somali coast have reached Addis Ababa, with arrangements under way for their repatriation, the PMO said on Saturday

The Palau-flagged MT Honour 25, carrying 18,500 barrels of oil and a 17-member crew, including 10 Pakistanis, was seized on April 21, around 30 nautical miles off Puntland while sailing from Oman to Somalia. Puntland’s Maritime Police Force said it rescued the tanker in an operation off Dharin-baar, but the pirates opened fire on the hostages, killing five, including three Pakistanis and injuring four others.

According to the PMO statement, the bodies of Syed Kafeel Omar, Ahmad Ansari and Rafiullah had arrived in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, where Ethiopian Airlines staff were reviewing arrangements for their transfer to Pakistan.

Read: Three Pakistani sailors killed in Somali ship rescue operation

وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی ہدایت پر صومالیہ میں جاں بحق پاکستانیوں شہریوں کی میتوں کی پاکستان منتقلی کے انتظامات جاری ہیں. اس سلسلے میں جاں بحق پاکستانی شہریوں کی میتیں ایک گھنٹہ قبل ایتھوپیا کے دارالحکومت ادیس ابابا پہنچ گئی ہیں۔

ایتھوپین ایئرلائنز کا عملہ میتوں کی پاکستان…

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) October 3, 2026

The PMO said final approval would be granted for the bodies to be dispatched to Karachi once the necessary preparations had been completed.

In accordance with the prime minister’s directives, relevant officials were in constant contact to expedite the repatriation process, the statement said.

The prime minister had assured every possible assistance in bringing back the bodies of the three Pakistani citizens, according to the PMO.

It said PM Shehbaz had spoken by telephone on Friday with Izaan Kafeel, the son of deceased Syed Kafeel Omar, and expressed his condolences over the death of his father and assured him that the government would take all necessary measures to swiftly repatriate his body along with those of the other deceased Pakistanis.

Also Read: Four Pakistani crew members from hijacked MT Honour 25 to arrive in Karachi tomorrow: Dar

A day earlier, the prime minister announced financial assistance of Rs12.5 million for the families of each of the three Pakistanis killed during a Somali operation to rescue the crew from pirates.

He also announced free education and healthcare for the deceased’s children, while each bereaved family would be provided with a house.

The oil tanker Honour 25, sailing under the Somali flag from Oman to Somalia, was hijacked by pirates on April 21. There were 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani nationals. The families of the Pakistani hostages spent months seeking the safe release of their loved ones, staging peaceful protests and repeatedly approaching government authorities.

During their captivity, the pirates initially demanded a ransom of $3 million, which was later reduced to $1.9 million and subsequently to $1 million. All the Pakistani crew members who were killed or injured were from different areas of Karachi.

The pirates came under pressure during a rescue operation and, while retreating from the vessel, opened indiscriminate fire on the abducted crew before fleeing the ship. Five sailors were killed, including three Pakistanis — Second Officer Kashif Umar, Third Engineer Mahmood Ansari and Boiler Rafiullah. The other two deceased crew members were an Indian sailor, Tanveer, and the chief engineer from Myanmar.

Four sailors were injured — Usman, Yasir, Ameen and Vicky from Indonesia — while Hussain Yousuf, Imran Ali and Yaseen remained safe. The two surviving Pakistani crew members later contacted the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust in Karachi using the ship captain’s mobile phone and provided details of the incident.

Puntland police said the Honour 25 had 18,500 barrels of oil on board when it was hijacked. The police had been pursuing three hijacked vessels off the Somali coast and had also rescued another oil tanker, Sibu 1, on Friday. However, 28 of the 41 pirates arrested during that operation later escaped while being transferred to jail, with several Puntland security officials accusing local police of complicity.