A Chinese cargo ship was hijacked by pirates on Friday in the Gulf of Oman, not far off the south of Iran, state media said, citing China’s embassy in Tehran. The vessel was attacked on Friday morning near the Iranian port of Chabahar, according to the Xinhua news agency. The Chinese embassy in Iran has initiated an “emergency” operation aimed at rescuing the ship, it added. “The Chinese embassy… immediately established contact with relevant Iranian authorities demanding (that) Iran adopt all necessary measures to fully rescue the ship and crew,” Xinhua said. It offered no other details including the nationality of the hijackers. According to China Radio International, the vessel, the Xianghuamen, is owned by Yuanyang shipping company in eastern China’s Nanjing city and was sailing with a crew of 28. The waters of the Arabian Sea, at the northern tip of the Indian Ocean, have seen hundreds of pirate attacks in recent years, with Chinese shipping vessels routinely targeted.
Pirates hijack China freighter in Gulf of Oman
