China’s 47th naval escort taskforce completes new escort mission

The 47th fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently wrapped up an escort mission for a civilian cargo ship.

The civilian cargo ship, Zhenhua 35, carried 26 Chinese crew members on board. It marked the 1661st mission of the fleet since it began undertaking escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia since late December last year.

The 47th navy fleet comprises a guided-missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply vessel. It carries over 700 officers and soldiers, with two helicopters and more than 10 special force members on board.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his call for de-escalation, immediate cessation of hostilities and genuine dialogue and negotiations in the Middle East in line with the UN Charter, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday.

Speaking at a press conference at the UN headquarters, Dujarric said that over the past 48 hours or so, the secretary-general has been in touch with a number of regional leaders, including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.

He stressed that what is needed now in the region more than anything is a way out.

"Turning to the situation in the Middle East, over the past 48 hours or so, the secretary-general has been in touch with a number of regional leaders. What is needed now in the region more than anything is a way out. To that end, the secretary-general again calls for de-escalation, an immediate cessation of hostilities and genuine dialogue and negotiations, in line with the Charter of the United Nations," he said.

Dujarric also expressed deep concern regarding reports of an attack on a primary school in southern Iran, which, Iran said, has led to the deaths of 165 school girls.

He mentioned that the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for an immediate halt to hostilities and for the de-escalation of the situation.

The United States and Israel on Saturday launched "major combat operations" against Iran, claiming that the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed.

Iran retaliated with a series of counterattacks against Israel and U.S. targets across the region, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia, among other countries.