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| China navy 'stops pirate attack' | China navy 'stops pirate attack' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Chinese navy has saved an Italian merchant ship from an attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia, Chinese state media have reported. | The Chinese navy has saved an Italian merchant ship from an attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia, Chinese state media have reported. |
| The state-run Xinhua news agency said the Liberian-flagged ship was attacked in the Gulf of Aden. | |
| China sent three ships to help patrol the busy shipping lane last year. | China sent three ships to help patrol the busy shipping lane last year. |
| A helicopter from one of the Chinese vessels spotted pirates close to the cargo ship and fired flares to warn them off, Xinhua said. | |
| The pirates were approaching the Italian ship in two small vessels when the Chinese helicopter is reported to have arrived. | |
| Well-armed Somalian pirates have attacked dozens of merchant and fishing vessels in recent months, seizing some of them and holding the ships and crews for ransom. | |
| Warships from more than a dozen nations, including the UK, the US, France, Germany and Iran are patrolling the Gulf of Aden - one of the world's busiest shipping lanes - which connects Europe to the Indian Ocean. |