ISLAMABAD: Four injured Pakistani crew members of the hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 and the mortal remains of three sailors departed from Addis Ababa for Karachi on Sunday, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

The injured crew members — Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasir Khan — along with the remains of Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari, left aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 694.

Pakistan’s ambassadors to Djibouti and Ethiopia saw them off in Addis Ababa, while the flight was expected to arrive in Karachi later in the day, according to the FO.

The development follows an operation by Somali authorities to recover the hijacked MT Honour 25. Puntland authorities said their forces had freed the tanker and captured 16 pirates during the operation.

Five crew members were killed, including three Pakistanis, while four others were injured.

The Palau-flagged tanker was seized by pirates on April 21, around 30 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia’s Puntland region. A total of 17 crew members, including 10 Pakistani nationals, were aboard the vessel.

The injured Pakistani sailors were receiving medical treatment after being brought safely ashore, while Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Djibouti coordinated with Somali authorities and other stakeholders to assist the nationals and facilitate their repatriation.

On October 2, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said three Pakistani crew members — Imran Ali, Yasin Muhammad and Syed Yousuf Hussain — remained aboard MT Honour 25 along with the captain, as efforts continued to secure their safe return to Pakistan.

The repatriation process followed a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office that the remains of the three deceased Pakistanis had reached Addis Ababa, where arrangements were being completed for their onward transportation to Karachi.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the relevant authorities to complete the repatriation process at the earliest and assured the bereaved families of all possible assistance.

The prime minister also spoke by telephone with Azhan Kashif, son of deceased sailor Syed Kashif Umar, and offered his condolences over his father’s death.

Shehbaz announced financial assistance of Rs12.5 million for each family of the three Pakistani sailors killed during the recovery operation. He also announced free education and healthcare for their children, along with a house for each bereaved family.

The prime minister further directed the authorities to provide the best possible medical facilities to the injured crew members and continue efforts to ensure the safe return of the remaining Pakistani sailors.