The Minervagracht, a general cargo ship flying the Dutch flag, is currently ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden following an attack involving an explosive device. The incident led to a rescue operation for the 19 crew members onboard, as confirmed by the EU maritime mission Aspides and the ship’s operator. The exact perpetrators behind the attack, which resulted in two crew members sustaining injuries, have not been definitively identified at this time.
According to Spliethoff, the Amsterdam-based company managing the Minervagracht, the vessel was targeted by an unknown explosive device while in international waters in the Gulf of Aden. The explosion caused significant damage and ignited a fire on the ship. The injured crew members are currently being evacuated to nearby vessels via helicopter, with the full extent of their injuries yet to be determined.
The EU maritime mission Aspides stated that the Minervagracht caught fire and became adrift as a consequence of the attack, which occurred approximately 128 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen. Despite the distressing situation, the ship did not request assistance from the mission when the incident took place. The crew members onboard hail from Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, according to Aspides.
This incident, if confirmed to be the work of the Houthis, would mark their first assault on a commercial vessel since September 1, when they targeted the Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Yanbu, a port city in Saudi Arabia. In previous instances, the Houthis have attacked and sunk vessels like the Magic Seas bulk carrier and Eternity C cargo ship in the Red Sea.
Reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations revealed that a vessel located 128 nautical miles off Aden was struck by an unknown projectile and subsequently caught fire. Both the UKMTO and Ambrey, a British maritime security firm, received accounts of smoke near the unnamed vessel, with the ship’s captain observing a splash in the distance. Ambrey noted that the ship had been previously targeted on its journey to Djibouti on September 23.
The situation continues to develop as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack on the Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden.