Yemen's Houthi militants claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht, which caught fire in the Gulf of Aden.
Personnel from EU maritime mission Eunavfor Aspides' carry out rescue operation following an attack by Yemen's Houthi on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht, which caught fire in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, Eunavfor
Yemen's Houthi militants claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht, which caught fire in the Gulf of Aden.
The Iran-aligned group has launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war on Gaza.
The Houthis' military spokesperson said Monday's attack was carried out by a cruise missile.
The strike injured two sailors and forced a helicopter evacuation of the ship's 19 crew members, according to the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel's operator.
Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said on Monday Minervagracht was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it was hit, suffering substantial damage and a fire.
The Houthis said they attacked Minervagracht because its owner violated "the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine".
It was the first Houthi attack on a commercial ship since September 1, when they targeted Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
In July, the Houthis attacked and sank the Magic Seas bulk carrier and Eternity C cargo ship in the Red Sea.
The last significant Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden was on the Singapore-flagged Lobivia container ship in July 2024.
Reporting by Hatem Maher and Mohammed Ghobari
Saudi Arabia issued alerts on Thursday warning of potential danger in Yanbu, the kingdom's Red Sea oil export hub, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis continue attacks on the kingdom that have opened another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Turkey's parliament is set on Wednesday to ratify a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that includes a collective defence clause, committing NATO's second-largest army to Riyadh's defence as it faces attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
Hezbollah on Wednesday rejected accusations that it had dispatched experts to Yemen to fight alongside the Houthis in their war against the internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.