BEIJING, April 2 (RIA Novosti) - China sent two warships to the Gulf of Aden on Thursday morning to replace two destroyers involved in an operation against Somali pirates since late December, Chinese media reported.
The DD-167 Shenzhen destroyer and the FFG-570 Huangshan frigate are carrying two helicopters, missiles, and about 800 crew members, including a naval special force unit, the Xinhua news agency said.
China's Weishanhu supply ship will remain in the Gulf of Aden.
Around 20 warships from the navies of at least a dozen countries are involved in anti-piracy operations off Somalia. According to the United Nations, Somali pirates carried out at least 120 attacks on ships in 2008, resulting in combined ransom payouts of around $150 million.
Russia sent a task force from its Pacific Fleet on Sunday to relieve warships involved in the anti-piracy operation near Somalia since the beginning of January.
