Japan ship shot at off Somalia, no one hurt

TOKYO, March 23 (Reuters) - A Japanese ship operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (9104.T) was shot at by two pirate ships off Somalia, but none of the 18 Filipino crew were injured, the company said on Monday.

The incident, which occured on Sunday, came after the Japanese government earlier this month ordered two naval vessels to join international patrols aimed at curbing pirate attacks off Somalia. [ID:nT327928]

"Some windows were broken, and there was some damage to the outside of the ship, but no one was injured," a spokeswoman for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said.

"After zigzagging across the sea for about 40 minutes very fast, the ship tore itself away from the boats," she added.

The company said in a statement that the ship was a Cayman Islands-flagged cargo ship transporting used cars from the United Arab Emirates to Kenya.

Despite the damage, the ship could operate and is currently sailing towards a safer area. (Reporting by Yoko Nishikawa; Editing by Jerry Norton)