Yemeni Houthi movement claimed responsibility for attack on cargo ship “Minervaghat“.
A spokesman for the rebel army said the ship was hit by a cruise missile, caught fire and may now sink.
“The Yemeni navy carried out an operation to attack the “Minervaghat“, whose owner violated the ban on passage to ports in occupied Palestine. The operation was carried out in the Gulf of Aden using a cruise missile. "As a result of a direct hit, the ship caught fire and is now in danger of sinking," a spokesman for the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV channel said.
The Dutch-flagged Minervaghat was attacked in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. According to the European Maritime Mission Aspides, the fire on board the drifting ship continued the day after the attack. Two sailors were injured in the strike.
According to the Dutch company Spliethoff, which operates the Minervaghat, the ship had sailed from Djibouti without cargo. There were 19 crew members on board who were evacuated after the attack. Aspides said most of the sailors, including one of the injured, were transferred to Greek and French frigates in stable condition. Another crew member, who was seriously injured, was evacuated by helicopter. All the injured were transported to Djibouti.
This is the first attack by the Houthis on a commercial vessel since September 1, when they hit the tanker Scarlet Ray near the Saudi port of Yanbu, located on the Red Sea coast. In July, Yemeni rebels sank the bulk carriers Magic Seas and Eternity C.