Dutch cargo ship adrift and ablaze after attack in Gulf of Aden, EU maritime mission says.

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By Jonathan Saul and Renee Maltezou

LONDON/ATHENS (Reuters) -The Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht is on fire and drifting in the Gulf of Aden after an attack with an explosive device spurred a rescue mission for its 19 crew, the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel’s operator said on Monday.

It was not immediately clear whether the attack that injured two sailors was carried out by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, who since 2023 have launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea that they deem to be linked with Israel in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s war on Gaza.

The vessel’s Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said its Minervagracht was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it came under attack from an unidentified explosive device that inflicted substantial damage and started a fire on the ship.

“Two of the crew of Minervagracht have sustained injuries. Currently the crew of 19 are being evacuated to nearby vessels by helicopter,” Spliethoff said, adding that the extent of injuries was not yet known.

“As a result of the attack, the MV Minervagracht is on fire and adrift,” the EU maritime mission Aspides said, adding that the vessel had not asked for its protection when it came under attack 128 nautical miles southeast of the port of Aden, Yemen.

The ship’s crew are from Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, Aspides said.

If confirmed, this would be the first attack by the Houthis on a commercial ship since September 1, when they targeted the 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 British Royal Navy agency, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, said on Monday that military authorities reported that a vessel, 128 nautical miles off Aden, had been hit by an unknown projectile and was reported to be on fire.

The UKMTO and British maritime security firm Ambrey said they received reports of smoke in the vicinity of the unnamed vessel, with the UKMTO saying the ship’s master reported witnessing a splash in the distance.

The vessel was previously targeted on September 23 on its way to Djibouti, according to Ambrey.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Renee Maltezou, Jaidaa Taha, Menna Alaa ElDin, Tala Ramadan and Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Toby Chopra and Daniel Wallis)