Japanese tanker put in jeopardy from piracy operation

A Japanese tanker was subjected to piracy by Somali pirates in international waters 90 nautical miles south of al-Mukalla in the Hadramout province, said an official source from the Yemeni Coast Guard troop.

Coast Guard forces received an urgent distress call from the captain of the Japanese tanker named “TAKAYAMA” following exposure to a missile (R.P.G.) from one boat, without affecting the route, the source told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba).

The source stated that the oil tanker’s capacity reached 264,457  tons and will continue its way to the Yanbu port of Saudi.

The Japanese oil tanker was fired on in the Gulf of Aden, off Yemen on Monday, claimed owner Nippon Yusen KK. According to Reuters, Japanese media reported that the ship was hit by a rocket in the pirate-infested region.

None of the 23 crew members were injured, and the tanker was capable of continuing its voyage, Nippon Yusen spokesman Satoshi Yokoyama told Reuters. 

The empty oil tanker was on its way from South Korea to load at a port in Saudi Arabia, said Nippon Yusen, Japan’s biggest ocean shipping firm.

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