MV Golden Arsenal, a bulk carrier flagged under St Vincent and the Grenadines, reported an attempted pirate attack on the afternoon of 1 July while en route from Aden, Yemen.

The incident occurred approximately 300 nautical miles east-northeast of Djibouti, with 21 crew members onboard, including one Indian national. The Indian Navy confirmed the event in a statement released on Facebook on 3 July.

Mission deployed INS Trikand, a stealth frigate operating in the Gulf of Aden, responded swiftly to the piracy alert. The warship arrived in the vicinity of the vessel early on 2 July, ensuring immediate naval presence in the area to counter the threat.

The Master of MV Golden Arsenal confirmed that all crew members were safe despite damage sustained to the bridge superstructure and adjoining compartments. This damage highlighted the severity of the attempted boarding but did not compromise the crew’s ability to remain secure.

Specialist teams from INS Trikand boarded the vessel and carried out a thorough sanitisation operation. No suspicious personnel were found onboard during the inspection. Following this, the naval team safely moved the crew from the citadel, where they had taken refuge, and assisted in restoring the ship to operational readiness.

The Indian Navy’s P8I maritime patrol aircraft also undertook aerial surveillance and reconnaissance in support of the operation. This provided additional situational awareness and ensured that no further threats were present in the vicinity.

With the anti-piracy operation concluded and the vessel rendered safe, MV Golden Arsenal resumed her voyage. The intervention reaffirmed the Indian Navy’s role as a preferred security partner in the region, committed to safeguarding merchant shipping and ensuring secure seas.

Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOS) also boarded the vessel during the operation. Sources had earlier confirmed that the ship was carrying critical cargo for India. The crew had locked themselves inside a safe room after pirates attempted to board, alerting authorities through a communication channel. The pirates fled as INS Trikand approached, allowing MARCOS to sanitise the ship and secure it for onward transit.

This incident follows a series of recent anti-piracy actions by the Indian Navy. On 19 June, INS Trikand responded to a distress call from MV Fareeda 5 in the Western Indian Ocean, undertaking prompt action to investigate and deter a likely piracy attempt. Earlier, on 27 May, INS Kolkata foiled a suspected piracy attempt near MV Mashallah 1, using its helicopter and boarding teams to prevent a possible attack.

These successive operations underscore India’s sustained vigilance in the Gulf of Aden and the wider Western Indian Ocean. Since 2008, the Indian Navy has maintained continuous anti-piracy deployments in the region, escorting thousands of merchant vessels through one of the busiest and most vulnerable maritime corridors in the world.

The presence of advanced warships such as INS Trikand, supported by MARCOS and aerial assets like the P8I, demonstrates India’s capability to act decisively against maritime threats.

The Indian Navy’s actions highlight its growing role as a reliable security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. With piracy threats resurging amid regional instability, India’s naval deployments remain critical to ensuring the safety of international shipping routes and protecting national interests tied to maritime trade.

ANI