Pakistan, Oct. 1 -- Pakistan on Wednesday said efforts were underway to repatriate bodies of Pakistani crew members and survivors of an operation to free an oil tanker, MT Honour 25, which was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia five months ago.

The Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 was seized off Somalia's northeastern Puntland region on April 21 with 17 people aboard, including 10 Pakistanis. Three Pakistani sailors among five crew members were subsequently killed by the pirates.

After securing the vessel, the maritime police in the Puntland autonomous region of Somalia said on Tuesday the five crew members had been killed before Puntland forces began their operation to free the oil tanker.

Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Wedne...