The Ministry of National Defense MOD said in a statement that a PLA task force on escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia received intelligence at dusk on April 8 that a Tuvalu-registered cargo ship hull number OS 35 had been hijacked by pirates in the waters northwest of the Socotra. The Chinese guided missile frigate Yulin instantly dashed to the area while informing other countries' escort fleets of the incident.
Yulin launched the rescue operation in the early hours of April 9, shortly after arriving at the scene at midnight. Sixteen Special Forces soldiers boarded the hijacked vessel and managed to rescue all 19 crew members. All of the personnel and cargo on the ship were unharmed. But the MOD's information bureau did not mention whether there were casualties on the pirates or whether they were arrested, pending trials.
The MOD said that the rescue operation exhibited the Chinese military's resolution and capability in anti-piracy missions, and exemplified China's commitment to preserving international navigational safety. The statement added that China maintained an open and clear attitude towards international cooperation on anti-piracy.
Other sources claimed the Indian navy also participated in the rescue operation but only PLA soldiers boarded the cargo ship and freed its crew. Adjust font size:. Follow China. ChinaNews App Download. Print E-mail. Send your stories Get more from China. Chinese navy frees foreign ship from pirate control The Chinese military confirmed on April 12 that one of its vessels had freed a foreign cargo ship from pirate control in the Gulf of Aden on April 9.
