U.S. involved in shelling of freighter

Press, 29 July 1987, Page 9

U.S. involved in shelling of freighter

NZPA-Reuter Tokyo American Navy planes were conducting bombing practice off Japan when a Malaysian freighter was hit by a projectile near Okinawa, southern Japan, a United States military spokesman said. The United States Navy was co-operating with Japanese authorities to investigate an incident on Monday evening that badly injured one of the Pomex Saga’s 21 Filipino crewmen.

The spokesman said that the freighter "reported an incident involving an unidentified aircraft dropping an object on the ship." Japan’s Maritime Safety Agency said earlier at least two shots, believed to be rockets from unidentified aircraft, hit the 5920-ton freighter as it cruised near Okinawa on its way from Taiwan to Nagoya, in Japan. The bridge and a toilet were hit, and projectile

fragments were found aboard: “U.S. Navy FA-18 aircraft were operating in Warning Area 176< at the time of the incident," the United States statement said, without elaborating on the location of the exercise. “The aircraft were conducting routine night bombing exercises with MK-76 non-exploslve bombs,” it said. Japan's Defence Agency said no Japanese military planes were in the area at the time. The United States spokesman said the Pomex Saga received undetermined damage and was being towed to Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture. The safety agency quoted a report from the freighter as saying a Filipino crewman might have to have his left arm amputated. He had been flown by helicopter to Okinawa for medical treatment.