China says 24 hijacked in Arabian Sea are freed
BEIJING—Twenty-four Chinese sailors on a cargo ship that was hijacked in the Arabian Sea have been rescued, China’s government said Friday.
The Panama-registered ship the sailors were on was hijacked by seven pirates Thursday morning, and the 24 were rescued Friday, the Ministry of Transport said.
The report on the ministry’s website did not give any details on how the sailors were rescued. It said they were safe and in good condition.
Pirates from Somalia, which has not had a functioning government in two decades, are active in the region.
Chinese naval squadrons are stationed in the region to escort commercial ships and make anti-piracy patrols with NATO nations, Russia and India.
Confrontations with pirates have turned increasingly violent in recent months. Pirates typically command about $5 million to release a ship and crew.
