British Maritime Authority: Oil Tanker Sends Distress Signal While Sailing in the Gulf of Aden

London, August 20 (KUNA) -- The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Thursday that an oil tanker sent a distress call after an unauthorized vessel approached it while it was sailing in the Gulf of Aden. In an urgent statement on its official website, the agency said the tanker’s captain had earlier transmitted a distress call on VHF channel 16, confirming that an unidentified ship was approaching at a maritime position 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen. It added that it had received an update stating that six armed men had boarded the tanker’s bridge and ordered the vessel to be steered toward the Somali coast, noting that relevant regional authorities were investigating the incident. The agency renewed its call for ships and tankers to transit territorial waters “with extreme caution and vigilance” amid the current security situation, and to report any suspicious movements or activities. (End) M.R.N./F.S.