A Yemeni oil tanker has escaped a pirate attack off the Makha port in the Red Sea. According to SABA news agency, Somali pirates intercepted the tanker and tried to take over it, but the crew managed to flee the pirates.

Yemeni sources said that the pirates pursued the tanker, but it sent a distress call to the Coast Guards in the area which immediately offered help. The tanker has arrived in the port safely, the news agency reported.

© 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)