The four Pakistanis who were injured during a security operation to recover a hijacked oil tanker off the coast of Somalia, along with the remains of three others who lost their lives in the episode, arrived in Karachi on Sunday evening.

The crew members of MT Honour 25 reached Karachi after departing from Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 694.

Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, PPP Senator Waqar Mehdi, MQM-P MNA Farooq Sattar and others welcomed the rescued seamen upon their arrival at Jinnah International Airport.

Shah said the loss of lives and injuries was an “extremely regrettable incident” and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

The minister said all expenses for the treatment and care of the injured will be borne by the Sindh government, with the wounded to be taken to Aga Khan Hospital.

Pakistan’s ambassadors to Djibouti and Ethiopia had seen off the four injured Pakistani crew members — Usman Ghani, Aqeel Khan, Ameen bin Shams and Yasir Khan — along with the mortal remains of Rafiullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmad Ansari from Addis Ababa.

The seven were among 10 Pakistanis aboard MT Honour 25, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in April. Apart from Pakistanis, the vessel’s crew also included seven Indonesians, an Indian and a Sri Lankan.

For around five months, there had been no progress either in negotiations or in the payment of the ransom, said to be around $3 million, for the recovery of the hostages, despite concerns abounding about their declining health.

Since the hijacking, the crew made several emotional videos and audio appeals, reporting that they ran out of clean water, food and medicine.

For its part, FO maintained that it remained “actively engaged” to secure the release of the sailors.

On Sept 29, Somali maritime police recovered the Palau-flagged oil tanker amid reports of casualties among the crew.

During the operation, it said, 21 suspected pirates were apprehended, while operations to locate the remaining members continue.

“Before the operation [had] begun, the pirates on board the ship killed five of the crew. Among those killed were three from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India,” it said.

Advocate Quratulain of the Ansar Burney Trust, however, gave a separate account of the events, saying the pirates had brought the hostages onto the deck when they realised Puntland forces were approaching.

“They tied their hands and warned to kill them if the police force came anywhere near them without paying them the ransom,” she said, adding that the ransom demand had by then been reduced from an initial $3 million to $1m.

She said the pirates opened fire on the hostages as the security forces proceeded with the operation, killing three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a relief package worth Rs12.5 million for the deceased sailors’ families.