Indian Navy foils piracy attack on merchant ship in Gulf of Aden, crew including an Indian sailor safe

NEW DELHI: Indian Navy warship INS Trikand thwarted a piracy attempt on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday night. Indian Navy Marine Commandos (Marcos) boarded the affected vessel, MV Golden Arsenal, which had one Indian crew member among the 21 on board, sanitised the vessel and then rescued the crew, officials said.As INS Trikand approached the vessel, the suspected pirates fled the area.

“The merchant vessel, while transiting from Aden, Yemen, reported an attempted pirate attack approximately 300 nautical miles east-northeast of Djibouti. The piracy incident was reported in coordination with the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), following which INS Trikand, mission deployed din the region, was directed to intercept the merchant vessel,” the Navy said in a statement.“The merchant vessel, carrying 21 crew members, including one Indian national, reported damage to the bridge superstructure and adjoining compartments. The crew had taken shelter in the vessel's citadel and were reported safe,” the statement said.

On Thursday morning, “a boarding team from INS Trikand”, a state-of-the-art guided-missile Talwar-class frigate, “embarked MV Golden Arsenal to sanitise the vessel and assess the situation.

Following a thorough search, no suspicious personnel were found onboard. The crew subsequently exited the citadel safely and, along with Indian Navy personnel, commenced an assessment of the vessel's condition,” the Navy said.To augment the operation, an Indian Navy P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft was deployed to undertake aerial surveillance and reconnaissance in the area, enhancing maritime domain awareness and supporting the anti-piracy response.With the vessel sanitised and the immediate threat neutralised, anti-piracy operations by INS Trikand have concluded. MV Golden Arsenal has since resumed her onward voyage.The Indian Navy remains committed to safeguarding merchant shipping, countering piracy and ensuring the safety and security of all seafarers in the region, irrespective of nationality, as part of its continued commitment to maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.