The Chinese navy participated in the rescue of a hijacked cargo ship on Sunday morning in the Gulf of Aden and helped free its 19 crew members.
The 25th fleet, which has been conducting escorting missions at the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, received an emergency call on Saturday alerting that a Tuvalu-flagged ship OS35 had been hijacked by Somali pirates.
File photo of Chinese soldiers on board a Chinese Navy vessel heading for Gulf of Aden to conduct escorting mission. /CFP Photo
The Chinese Navy’s Yulin vessel set out towards the cargo vessel immediately after receiving the information, and arrived at the location at midnight.
A rescue operation was launched on early Sunday morning. Sixteen Chinese soldiers successfully boarded the timber-carrying freighter, and freed its crew. They also conducted a comprehensive search of the ship to make sure no pirate was on board.
Several Indian Navy ships also helped in the operation and provided air cover, said a senior Indian officer.
The Chinese Navy has been dispatching fleets to patrol the Gulf of Aden and waters of Somalia since 2008. During that period of time, they have escorted over 6,000 ships, and rescued dozens of ships attacked by pirates.
