The German navy has stopped and disarmed six pirates who tried to hijack an Egyptian cargo ship off the coast of Somalia.
However, the captain of the German frigate says the pirates were not arrested, on the orders of the German government.
Separately, three Chinese naval ships - two destroyers and a supply ship - were leaving their home port of Sanya on Thursday to protect Chinese ships off Somalia.
There have been more than 100 pirate attacks this year in the Gulf of Aden, and several countries have deployed warships there.
