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

A Puntland official told the BBC that five crew members from the oil tanker MT Hoarner 25 were killed before local security forces retook the vessel. Deputy Information Minister Bile Qabowsade said the deaths occurred at the hands of pirates before regional forces boarded. The dead included three Pakistani nationals, one Indian and one person from Myanmar. Four other crew members were injured, including three Pakistanis and one Indian. The tanker, carrying about 18,500 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu, was seized in April by six armed men off Somalia. Sixteen suspected pirates were arrested, while others escaped and were being pursued. The official rejected claims that Puntland forces helped some escape, and authorities have not detailed how the killings happened.