The Laju incident occurred on 31 January 1974 in Singapore, when four armed men attacked the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom and then hijacked a ferryboat Laju. January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...

Overview

On 31 January 1974, four men armed with submachine guns and explosives attacked the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom, a small island lying south of Singapore. The terrorists comprised two members of the Japanese Red Army (JRA) and two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Their goal was to disrupt the oil supply from Singapore to other countries, especially South Vietnam. On 1 February 1974, a PFLP spokesman made a statement in Beirut that the attack a warning to all monopolistic oil companies on one hand and imperialism in general on the other - especially the perceived oppression of the Arab masses in the Middle East. January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The Japanese Red Army (日本赤軍, Nihon Sekigun) (JRA) is an international organisation founded by Ms. ... The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) (Arabic الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين - al-Jabhah al-Shaabiyah li-Tahrīr Filasṭīn) is a secular, Marxist-Leninist, nationalist Palestinian organization, founded after the Six-Day War in 1967. ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ...

At the beginning of their operation, the terrorists' boat ran aground on a coral reef. They managed to reach the shore of Bukom after convincing an unsuspecting boatman to tow them towards the island. As they headed towards a gate of an oil tank farm, they fired shots at two passing vehicles, but no one was injured. A sentry at a security post managed to escape and raise the alarm.

The terrorists were able to detonate three of the 12 explosives they were carrying, but it caused little damage. To escape, they then hijacked a ferryboat Laju at the Bukom jetty and held 5 crew members hostage. This led to a chase and Laju was quickly surrounded by marine police boats and navy gunboats at the Eastern Anchorage.

This was followed by a few days of intense negotiation, during which two hostages managed to escape by jumping overboard in the middle of the night. The terrorists later agreed to release the other crew members in exchange for a party of "guarantors" for their safe passage to the Middle East. This 12-men party comprised of 4 commandos from the Singapore Armed Forces and 8 other government officials and was led by the Director of Security and Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence, S R Nathan, who later became the President of Singapore. The Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation is an elite branch of the Armed Forces of Singapore. ... It has been suggested that Military of Singapore be merged into this article or section. ... The Ministry of Defence (abbreviated MINDEF) is entrusted with overseeing the defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. ... Sellapan Ramanathan (born July 3, 1924 in Singapore) is the sixth and current President of Singapore. ... Flag of the President of Singapore Presidential Crest The President of Singapore is the head of state. ...

On the night of 7 February, the group was transferred from Laju to the Marine Police Headquarters and then to the airport. After they freed the remaining 3 hostages, the 4 terrorists left Singapore on 8 February at 1:25 am, accompanied by Nathan’s team on a flight to Kuwait.

Reference

• 1974 - The Laju Incident - Ong Kian Seng, Ministry of Defence, 7 January 2002