KARACHI: Three Pakistani crew members of the *MV Honour 25*, seized by Somali pirates, have arrived in Karachi after travelling from Ethiopia, officials said.
The sailors—Hussain Yousuf, Imran Ali and Muhammad Yasin—returned to Pakistan aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight. Yousuf and Ali are from Karachi, while Yasin belongs to Swat.
The men had reached Addis Ababa two days earlier after leaving Somalia. They were first transported from Puntland aboard the *MT Honour 25* to the port of Wasaso, then travelled to Ethiopia before continuing to Pakistan.
The three sailors were reported safe during an operation by the Puntland Maritime Police Force to recover the hijacked vessel. Somali pirates opened fire during the operation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar had earlier said that four of the 10 Pakistani crew members affected by the hijacking had been safely recovered. They were identified as Yasir Khan, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Usman Ghani.
Three other Pakistani sailors—Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umar and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari—were killed when pirates fired indiscriminately during the operation. The government has accelerated legal and administrative arrangements to bring their bodies back to Pakistan.
The *MV Honour 25* was hijacked on April 21 while travelling from Oman to Somalia, near the coast of Puntland. Ten Pakistanis were among the crew held hostage. The Pakistani government had been working for their release through negotiations and contacts with relevant countries.
On September 29, Puntland’s maritime police launched an operation to free the vessel. Five people were killed in the incident, including the three Pakistani sailors.
