ZHOUSHAN, Zhejiang, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The 29th fleet from Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has left east China's port city Zhoushan for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somali to escort civilian ships.

With over 700 officers and soldiers, dozens of special operation soldiers, and two helicopters on board, the fleet started its journey on Wednesday morning.

Under the mandate of the UN Security Council, Chinese Navy began to carry out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia in December 2008.

Up to July 2017, it escorted 6,400 Chinese and foreign vessels and warned away more than 3,000 suspected pirate ships.

During the missions, the navy also carried out the evacuation of Chinese nationals from war zones in Libya in 2011 and Yemen in 2015.