According to the EU maritime mission Aspides and its operator, the Dutch flagged cargo ship Minervagracht, was on fire and drifting in the Gulf of Aden, Tuesday. A day earlier, it had been hit by an explosive that injured two sailors and forced them to evacuate. The ship's operator and the EU maritime mission Aspides did not confirm if it was the Houthis of Yemen, who are allied with Iran, but have attacked vessels in the Red Sea since 2023. They claim their attacks are in solidarity to Palestinians because Israel is fighting Gaza.

If confirmed, this would be the first Houthi-led attack on a merchant ship since September.

Spliethoff, the Amsterdam-based operator of the ship, said that the Minervagracht, which was carrying 19 crew and no cargo, was off Djibouti when it exploded.

The company released a statement saying that the "Minervagracht" had suffered considerable damage. It added that the entire crew was safely evacuated, and that they were working with experts and international authorities to salvage the ship.

The majority of the crew including the injured seafarer who is in stable condition were transferred on a Greek frigate and a French one, said the naval mission Aspides.

The crew has arrived safely in Djibouti.

(source: Reuters)