FIVE CREW MEMBERS KILLED BY SOMALI PIRATES BEFORE HIJACKED TANKER RESCUED

Somali pirates killed five crew members aboard the hijacked MT Honour 25 petroleum products tanker before security forces successfully rescued the vessel, authorities in Puntland have announced.

The Palau flagged tanker had been held by pirates since April after being seized during a resurgence of piracy off the Somali coast.

Puntland's information ministry said security forces launched an operation that successfully freed the vessel and captured 16 suspected pirates.

Authorities said, however, that five members of the ship's crew had already been killed before the rescue operation began.

Three of those killed were Pakistani nationals, while the other two were from India and Myanmar.

Four additional crew members, three Pakistanis and one Indian, were injured.

The tanker had 17 crew members aboard when it was seized.

FIRST SUCH KILLINGS IN MORE THAN A DECADE

The deaths represent an alarming escalation in the resurgence of piracy around Somalia and appear to be the first killings carried out by Somali pirates in more than a decade.

Somali piracy once represented one of the world's most serious maritime security threats.

Between 2008 and 2014, pirates operating from Somalia repeatedly hijacked commercial vessels traveling through waters connecting the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

The attacks disrupted one of the world's busiest international shipping corridors, cost the global economy billions of dollars and resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars being paid in ransom.

International naval patrols, stronger security aboard commercial vessels and efforts by Somali authorities eventually contributed to a dramatic decline in successful attacks.

Recent incidents, however, have raised concerns that organized piracy is again becoming a serious threat.

16 SUSPECTED PIRATES CAPTURED

Puntland authorities said 16 suspected pirates were captured during the operation to recover the MT Honour 25.

The government did not immediately provide complete details of how the rescue operation unfolded or the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the five crew members.

The four injured sailors survived the attack.

The rescue comes only days after Puntland's maritime police carried out another operation involving the tanker Sibu 1.

Somali pirates had hijacked that vessel in August before Puntland forces freed it last week.

The two operations in quick succession underline growing security concerns surrounding commercial shipping off Somalia.

TANKERS BECOMING ATTRACTIVE TARGETS

Security experts cited by Reuters have linked the renewed piracy threat partly to changing economic conditions created by wider regional conflicts.

Higher oil prices associated with the war involving Iran have increased the potential value of petroleum cargoes, potentially making tankers more attractive targets for pirate groups.

The waters around Somalia also sit close to strategically important international shipping routes connecting Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Any sustained return of piracy could therefore have consequences extending far beyond Somalia.

Shipping companies could face increased security and insurance costs, while governments may come under pressure to strengthen naval patrols and maritime security operations.

The killing of five sailors aboard the MT Honour 25 now adds a particularly serious dimension to those concerns.

While hijackings and attempted seizures have been reported during the recent resurgence, the deaths indicate that crews could again face deadly violence.

Puntland's successful recovery of the tanker and capture of 16 suspects represents a significant security operation, but the killings aboard the vessel underline the continuing danger facing commercial ships operating in the region.