THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NAIROBI, Kenya–South Korean snipers hovering in a helicopter Monday chased away pirates pursuing a North Korean freighter, while a Russian warship freed eight Iranian citizens held hostage for more than three months.

The two dramatic rescues in the Gulf of Aden come as piracy grips the lawless coast off Somalia.

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said in a statement that a South Korean warship sent a Lynx helicopter to assist the North Korean vessel shortly after receiving a distress call that it was being chased by the pirate ship.

The pirate vessel gave up chasing the North Korean vessel and sped away after snipers aboard the helicopter prepared to fire warning shots, the statement said.

The incident took place 37 kilometres south of the Yemeni port of Aden. Somalia and Yemen are separated by the Gulf of Aden.

The high seas drama was a rare instance of recent co-operation between the two Koreas. Relations have badly frayed since a conservative government in Seoul took power last year with a vow to get tough on the North over its nuclear program. Pyongyang has responded by cutting ties and halting or restricting key joint reconciliation projects.

Also Monday, Iran’s embassy in Moscow said a Russian warship freed eight Iranians who were seized along with suspected pirates last week. The embassy said the Iranians had been held captive by the pirates for almost three months, and praised the Russian navy for the rescue.

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