DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates said yesterday that a Japanese oil tanker was hit by an explosives-laden dinghy in the Persian Gulf in what would be the first terror attack in the strategic waterway, where millions of barrels of oil are transported each day.
The report — which came days after the al Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for attacking the vessel — was the latest in a series of conflicting accounts of what happened to the M. Star supertanker, which was damaged as it entered the Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for about 40 percent of oil shipped by tankers worldwide.
If the UAE report is confirmed, the July 28 incident would be the first militant attack in the strait.
While the ship’s owner, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, initially said it suspected an attack, others said it was hit by a large wave or involved in a collision. A crew member was injured, and the tanker sustained a square-shaped dent on the rear side of the hull.