A Russian naval task force from the Northern...
from 26 countries along the shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden. The task force also held two anti-piracy exercises together with Chinese naval ships.The task force was the third group of warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet engaged in the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, with the previous two task forces led by the Admiral Vinogradov and Admiral Panteleyev destroyers. Russia"s first contribution to the international anti-piracy operations came from the Baltic Fleet.
Pirates have been active off Somalia as the war-ravaged country has been without an effective government since 1991.
There were 324 pirate attacks worldwide on commercial ships this year to October 20, with 37 vessels hijacked and 639 hostages taken, according to the International Maritime Bureau"s Piracy Reporting Center.
Attacks by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Somalia numbered 174, with 35 vessels hijacked and 587 crew taken hostage.