Dutch Cargo Ship on Fire in the Gulf of Aden After Houthi Missile Attack

In what appears to be the first attack by the Houthi militants on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden in nearly 14 months, a Dutch cargo ship has issued a distress call. The French Navy has a warship heading to the scene, with early reports saying the crew is uninjured, but the vessel is on fire. Unconfirmed reports have said two crewmembers, however, might have sustained injuries,

The ship is being identified as the Minervagrach (12.200 dwt), a Dutch-flagged cargo ship that was last reporting its position as in Djibouti on September 26, bound for Mumbai, India. The vessel, which is 466 feet (142 meters) in length, was last reported approximately 128 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen.

The ship is reported to have no known ties to Israel, according to a statement from the Maritime Information, Cooperation and Awareness Center. However, it is the second time in a matter of days that the Houthis appear to have targeted the same vessel. Another report was received on September 23 saying the master had “observed a splash followed by a loud bang,” about 1.5 nautical miles from the ship while it was approximately 120 nautical miles east of Aden.

The first reports today said the master had observed another splash nearby, suggesting that possibly multiple missiles were fired at the ship. EUNAVFOR Aspides reports the ship is now on fire and adrift. It said the vessel had not requested protection.

The previous report of an attack on a commercial ship in this area came in August 2024. It has been several weeks since the Houthis claimed an attack on any vessels, with the last incidents in the Red Sea and the north toward Saudi Arabia. Most of the reported missile and drone attacks have been directed at Israel.