China sends warships for combat mission off Somalia

A powerful flotilla of Chinese naval warships today set sail for pirate infested gulf of Aden in Africa in the nation's first combat mission in international waters.     

The flotilla comprising guided missile cruisers, helicopters and men of the special forces set sail from a port on south China's Hainan island for a prolonged anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia which has been a scene of hundreds of hijacking of commercial vessels.     

Two destroyers, DDG-169 Wuhan and DDG-171 Haikou and the supply ship Weishanhu from the South China Sea Fleet will cruise for about 10 days to arrive in the Gulf of Aden to join the multinational patrol in one of the world's busiest sea lanes where surging piracy endangers international shipping, the official Xinhua news agency reported.     

The fleet will carry about 800 crew members, including 70 soldiers from the Navy's special force. It's equipped with missiles, cannons and light weapons, Rear-Admiral Du Jingchen, told the agency.     
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said 1,265 Chinese commercial vessels had passed through the Gulf so far this year and seven had been  attacked. One fishing ship and 18 crew members were still being held by pirates.