Puntland’s Maritime Police Force (PMPF) says it has taken control of the tanker MTHonour after an operation against suspected pirates who had seized the vessel off the coast of Puntland.
The operation was carried out near Dharin-baar, in the Bandar Bayla district of the Karkaar region, according to Puntland authorities.
Two of the suspected pirates were wounded during the operation, while the remaining men aboard the vessel were detained, officials said.
The vessel, also referred to as Honour 25, is a fuel tanker sailing under the flag of Palau.
According to the EU’s naval force EUNAVFOR, the vessel was hijacked on 21 April 2026 while travelling towards Mogadishu. It was carrying about 17 crew members, most of them Pakistani nationals, and a cargo of oil products.
Information from the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCIO) placed the reported hijacking off the coast of Puntland at approximately 08°57′N, 50°34′E.
A Reuters report published at the time said the vessel had been seized about 30 nautical miles (56km) off the Puntland coast.
The latest operation marks an intervention by Puntland security forces against a suspected pirate group operating in waters off the region.
The circumstances surrounding the operation, including the condition and whereabouts of the vessel’s crew, have not been independently verified.
