The oil products tanker was built in 1978 as Yard 531 by the Japanese shipyard Tokushima Sangyo, at Komatsushima and launched for the government of South Yemen as Gna on 8 February 1978.

The tanker was powered by a single diesel engine driving one propeller, which gave a service speed of 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph).

[2] In 1983 the government transferred ownership to the Aden Refinery Company,[2] and the tanker was used for distributing oil products to other Yemeni ports.

[5] The Yemeni forces also recaptured three smaller vessels which had been seized on the same day in a separate incident, killing two pirates and capturing at least four.

In addition the pirates were ordered to pay 2 million Yemeni rials (about US$ 9200 in 2010) restitution to the ship's owner, some of which would be paid to the victims' families.