New Delhi: The Indian Navy successfully responded to a piracy incident in the Gulf of Aden after a merchant vessel came under attack while transiting one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes, the Navy said on Thursday. INS Trikand, a stealth frigate deployed on anti-piracy operations in the region, was tasked to assist the merchant vessel MV Golden Arsenal after it reported an attempted pirate attack on Wednesday.
The St Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged bulk carrier had departed Aden in Yemen when it came under attack around 300 nautical miles east-northeast of Djibouti. The incident was reported through the Gurugram-based Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), following which INS Trikand was immediately diverted to intercept the vessel.
According to the Indian Navy, the merchant ship was carrying 21 crew members, including one Indian national. The attack caused damage to the bridge superstructure and adjacent compartments. As a precautionary measure, the crew took refuge inside the ship’s citadel – a fortified safe room designed to protect seafarers during piracy incidents – and remained unharmed.
On Thursday morning, a specialist boarding team from INS Trikand boarded MV Golden Arsenal to secure the vessel and determine whether any pirates had gained access. After conducting a comprehensive search, the team found no unauthorized personnel onboard.
Following the clearance operation, the crew safely emerged from the citadel and, together with Indian Navy personnel, began assessing the damage sustained by the vessel.
To strengthen surveillance during the operation, the Navy also deployed a P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, which carried out aerial reconnaissance over the area. The aircraft’s deployment enhanced maritime domain awareness and supported the Navy’s anti-piracy mission.
With the vessel declared secure and the immediate threat eliminated, INS Trikand concluded the operation. MV Golden Arsenal subsequently resumed its onward voyage.
The latest operation adds to the Navy’s sustained anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, where Indian warships have maintained an almost continuous presence for more than a decade. Since late 2023, the Navy has further intensified deployments in response to heightened security challenges arising from piracy, attacks on commercial shipping and regional instability linked to the Red Sea crisis.
Operating in close coordination with international maritime agencies and the IFC-IOR, the Indian Navy has rescued numerous merchant vessels, escorted commercial shipping and responded to multiple maritime emergencies involving ships of various nationalities. New Delhi has consistently maintained that its naval deployments in the region are aimed at ensuring the safety of global sea lanes and protecting freedom of navigation, irrespective of the nationality of ships or their crews.
The Navy said it remains committed to safeguarding merchant shipping, countering piracy and ensuring the safety of seafarers operating across the Indian Ocean region.