(CNN) -- A Singapore-flagged container ship hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia was released Monday, according to the European Union Naval Force Somalia.
The Kota Wajar, with a crew of 21, was the second hijacked ship released in as many days. A Chinese bulk carrier, the De Xin Hai, and its crew of 25 were released on Sunday, NAVFOR said. Both ships were hijacked in October.
NAVFOR said the De Xin Hai and its crew were in good condition and "heading to a safe port."
The Chinese carrier was hijacked about 350 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles, NAVFOR said. The Kota Wajar was hijacked about 300 nautical miles north of the Seychelles.
Regarding the Kota Wajar, NAVFOR said it was "monitoring the situation." The Canadian warship HCMS Fredericton was providing medical and logistical assistance to the ship, it said.
NAVFOR did not say how either ship was released, but the Chinese Marine Search and Rescue Center said the De Xin Hai and crew were rescued, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The ship is under the protection of a Chinese naval escort fleet, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told Xinhua Monday. The De Xin Hai was carrying about 76,000 tons of coal from South Africa to India when it was hijacked.
NAVFOR is "a military operation to help deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia," according to its Web site.
