China's fourth naval escort mission leaves Gulf of Aden

GULF OF ADEN, March 21 (Xinhua) -- China's fourth Gulf of Aden mission left the Somali waters on Saturday local time after having successfully escorted more than 6,00 domestic and foreign vessels since the flotilla arrived in the region in November last year.

The fourth mission served as part of a multinational coalition of warships patrolling the pirate-infested waters.

China's fifth Gulf of Aden mission took over the escort of merchant vessels through the troubled waters in a handover ceremony from the fourth mission on Wednesday.

The first Chinese fleet arrived in the Gulf of Aden in early 2009.

The Gulf of Aden, off the northern coast of Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world. An estimated 25,000 ships annually cruise the channel south of Yemen, between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.