INS Trikand thwarts piracy attack, 21 crew safe

An Indian Navy warship successfully intervened to thwart a piracy attack on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden this week, ensuring the safety of all 21 crew members. The incident underscores a concerning resurgence of piracy in the region after years of relative calm.

The operation involved the stealth frigate INS Trikand, which responded to a distress call from the MV Golden Arsenal, a bulk carrier flagged in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The vessel reported an attempted attack on Wednesday approximately 300 nautical miles east-northeast of Djibouti while transiting from Aden, Yemen. The alert was coordinated through the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region.

Officials said the suspected pirates damaged the ship's bridge superstructure and adjoining compartments before the crew, which included one Indian national, secured themselves in the vessel's citadel, a fortified safe room. As INS Trikand closed in, it broadcast warning messages. A boarding team of MARCOS marine commandos from the frigate embarked the merchant ship on Thursday morning to sanitize it. After a thorough search, no suspicious personnel were found on board. The crew exited the citadel safely and,...