Indian Navy foils piracy attack on merchant ship in Gulf of Aden; crew safe

Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOS) later boarded the affected vessel, MV Golden Arsenal, which had one Indian crew member on board.

Updated on: Jul 2, 2026, 15:27:57 IST

Edited by Anagha Deshpande

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Indian Navy warship INS Trikand thwarted a piracy attempt on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday (July 1) afternoon.

As INS Trikand approached the vessel, the suspected pirates fled the area. (@indiannavy/FILE)

Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOS) later boarded the affected vessel, MV Golden Arsenal, which had one Indian crew member on board.

The crew locked themselves inside a safe room after pirates attempted to board the ship and immediately alerted authorities through a communication channel, news agency ANI reported.

As INS Trikand approached the vessel, the suspected pirates fled the area. MARCOS subsequently boarded the ship and sanitised it to ensure it was secure.

Earlier, on the afternoon of June 19, INS Trikand had responded to a distress call from merchant vessel MV Fareeda 5, which reported a likely piracy attempt in the Western Indian Ocean and undertook prompt action to deter the threat.

The Indian Navy said timely intervention ensured the safety of the merchant vessel.

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In a post on X, the Navy said, “Responding swiftly to a distress call from MV Fareeda 5 on a likely piracy attempt in the Western Indian Ocean on 17 June 26, mission-deployed INS Trikand, a frontline frigate of the Indian Navy, undertook prompt action to investigate and deter the threat. Timely intervention assured safety of the merchant vessel. As a preferred security partner and first responder in the region, Indian Navy remains committed to safeguarding merchant shipping, countering piracy and ensuring safe and secure seas.”

Earlier, on May 27, Indian Naval Ship INS Kolkata foiled a suspected piracy attempt near merchant vessel MV Mashallah 1 in the Western Indian Ocean.

Responding to inputs of possible pirate activity, INS Kolkata, mission deployed in the Western Indian Ocean, undertook swift action to investigate and deter the threat using its onboard helicopter and boarding teams. The timely intervention ensured the safety of the merchant vessel and prevented a possible piracy attack.

(With ANI inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anagha Deshpande
Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.Read More

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