Somali pirates killed oil tanker crew before rescue, official tells BBC

What the report says

Five crew members were killed aboard a tanker seized by pirates off Somalia before regional security forces retook the ship, according to a Puntland official quoted by BBC Africa. Puntland Deputy Information Minister Bile Qabowsade said the deaths happened before forces boarded MT Hoarner 25, and that the dead included three Pakistanis, one Indian and one person from Myanmar. He said four other crew members were injured, including three Pakistanis and one Indian.

The vessel was carrying about 18,500 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu when it was hijacked in April by six armed men off the Somali coast. Officials said 16 suspected pirates have been arrested and others are still being pursued. The tanker was later anchored near the coast between the towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla.

BBC Africa reported that the authorities have not explained how the crew members were killed or exactly how the pirates took control of the ship. Qabowsade also rejected claims that Puntland forces had helped any suspects escape. The case comes amid a wider rise in piracy in the area after a long decline following international naval patrols that began in 2011, a trend the BBC linked to renewed attacks in recent years.