A Japanese tanker damaged last week in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman was the target of a terrorist attack, the United Arab Emirates state-run news agency has said.. It said remains of [r]
(1)Japan tanker was damaged in a terror attack, UAE says
The M Star was carrying two million barrels of crude oil to Japan
A Japanese tanker damaged last week in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman was the target of a terrorist attack, the United Arab Emirates state-run news agency has said
It said remains of home-made explosives had been found on the hull of the M Star, which was damaged on Wednesday while travelling from Qatar to Japan
Two days ago, an al-Qaeda linked group said it was responsible
Officials previously said the ship may have been involved in a collision
The crew of the ship reported an explosion shortly after midnight Wednesday last week, injuring one person
The BBC's security correspondent Nick Childs says the news is likely to raise concerns about security for shipping in the Strait, a vital strategic waterway for oil supplies from the Gulf
Minor damage
(2)"UAE explosives experts who collected and examined samples found a dent on the starboard side above the water line and remains of home-made explosives on the hull," it said
"Probably the tanker had encountered a terrorist attack from a boat loaded with explosives," the source was quoted as saying
The ship's owner, Mitsui OSK, said it could not confirm the reports Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said the government was aware of the report but was yet to confirm its details, the Agence France-Presse news agency said
Previous theories about the cause ranged from a large wave to a US nuclear submarine Part of the mystery surrounding the incident was the relatively minor damage to the tanker, which did not seem to conform to any particular explanation
A statement signed by a "battalion" of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which is linked to al-Qaeda, said one of its suicide bombers was responsible for the blast
The claim, posted on a website used by Islamist militants, could not be independently verified, and the group has made false claims in the past
The French-operated tanker Limburg was badly damaged off Yemen in an attack in 2002, as was the US Navy warship Cole in an incident in the Yemeni port of Aden in 2000, in which 17 US sailors were killed
More on This Story Related stories
Japanese tanker in damage mystery 29 JULY 2010, MIDDLE EAST
From other news sites
(3) Xinhua News Agency Damaged Japanese tanker attacked by terrorists hr ago Reuters Attack caused damage to Japan tanker: UAE agency hrs ago
Foreign Policy Magazine A Hormuz whodunit 15 hrs ago About these results
Related Internet links
Mitsui OSK lines
Japan ministry of transport
Japanese tanker in damage mystery About these results Mitsui OSK lines Japan ministry of transport