Pirates have released a Panama-registered bulk cargo carrier with 24 Chinese crew members on board after intervention by a multinational anti-piracy force, the Chinese government said on Friday.
The MV Full City was hijacked by seven pirates around midday Thursday in the central Arabian Sea, about 450 nautical miles (833 kilometres) off the coast of the Indian city of Mumbai, the Chinese maritime rescue centre said, DPA reported.
The pirates fled some 12 hours later as a team of marines from Turkey and the United States approached the cargo ship, the centre said.
It said the Full City set sail again early Friday escorted by Indian naval vessels and was expected to reach its orginal destination, the Indian port of Tuicorin, early Monday.
State media reports said the attackers were believed to be Somali pirates and that the Chinese sailors were safe and in "good condition."