Iran navy frees hijacked Chinese freighter: report
TEHRAN, April 7 (MNA) – Iranian naval forces freed a Chinese freighter hijacked by Somali pirates off southern Iran on Friday and arrested all the attackers, the Fars news agency reported.
"Through the successful mission of Iranian naval forces, the ship was released and nine pirates were arrested," Iranian port official Saeed Izadiyan said, according to Reuters.
The Xianghuamen, owned by Nanjing Ocean Shipping Co Ltd, had been seized on Friday morning in the Gulf of Oman near the south Iranian port of Chabahar, the Chinese embassy in Tehran reported on its website.
Izadiyan said the pirates were Somali and that the ship was now on its way to Iran.
The Xianghuamen had departed from Shanghai, stopped to unload goods in Singapore, and had been on its way to Imam Khomeini port in southwest Iran, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Chinese ambassador to Iran Yu Hongyang had demanded that Iran make the safety of the crew a priority, Xinhua reported.
"Through the successful mission of Iranian naval forces, the ship was released and nine pirates were arrested," Iranian port official Saeed Izadiyan said, according to Reuters.
The Xianghuamen, owned by Nanjing Ocean Shipping Co Ltd, had been seized on Friday morning in the Gulf of Oman near the south Iranian port of Chabahar, the Chinese embassy in Tehran reported on its website.
Izadiyan said the pirates were Somali and that the ship was now on its way to Iran.
The Xianghuamen had departed from Shanghai, stopped to unload goods in Singapore, and had been on its way to Imam Khomeini port in southwest Iran, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Chinese ambassador to Iran Yu Hongyang had demanded that Iran make the safety of the crew a priority, Xinhua reported.