China's anti-pirate fleet returns from Somali waters

A Chinese navy flotilla that has been escorting commercial vessels in pirate-plagued Somali waters returned home on Friday, after its mission completed.

The 19th escort squad of the Chinese Navy, comprising missile frigates Linyi and Weifang and supply ship Weishanhu, escorted 109 ships in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters after setting sail from Qingdao in December, the People's Liberation Army Navy said in a statement.

The fleet also helped evacuate Chinese and foreign nationals from war-torn Yemen earlier this year, and participated in China-Russia naval drills in the Mediterranean, the fourth such exercise between the two navies since 2012.

It also visited Croatia, Turkey and Italy towards the end of its 221-day mission.

China sent its first convoy fleet to Somali waters in December 2008.