DUBAI, Oct. 2, Reuter: An Iranian gunboat pumped rocket propelled grenades and machinegun bullets into a blazing Indian tanker on Friday as it lurched across the southern gulf, its captain screaming for help over the radio.
Aid, in the form of a British warship looming out of the night, eventually arrived at the side of the 17,470tonne spic emerald.
But the gunboat had disappeared after shooting at the tanker for 35 minutes, setting it on fire and blowing out its board lights.
The Spic Emerald’s captain said in a radio report monitored in Dubai that he had tried to contact the gunboat, which he said opened fire without warning.
“We tried contacting everybody”, he said. “But there was no help…..”.
He said he was attacked in international waters off Dubai. He turned the tanker and ran for the sanctuary of the coast with the gunboat in hot pursuit.
No casualties were caused in the shooting and the crew was able to put out the fire after an hour, the captain said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1987
