Seoul, Feb 25 (IANS): South Korea's Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Kim Jung-soo has encouraged the troops of the country's anti-piracy unit operating in waters off Africa during a trip to Oman, an official said on Friday.

The 304-strong Cheonghae unit is currently docked at an Omani port after its operations were suspended for three weeks due to a cluster Covid infection. It resumed operations last week, Yonhap news agency reported.

Kim visited the port on Wednesday to offer words of encouragement to the sailors aboard the unit's 4,500-tonne destroyer Choi Young. He used a microphone to address them at a distance without boarding as part of precautionary measures.

Kim also met high-ranking Omani military officials, including the chief of staff, and expressed gratitude for Oman's support to the Cheonghae unit, the Navy said.

In its latest group infection, the Cheonghae unit reported the first Covid case on January 27. Nearly 20 per cent of its troops were infected with the virus although all of them had received booster shots.