Yemen’s Ansarullah Movement has announced that its forces struck the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht with a cruise missile in the Gulf of Aden, leaving the vessel ablaze and its crew evacuated.

The group’s military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, stated that the operation was carried out on Monday after the ship’s owner, Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, violated the entry ban imposed on ports in occupied Palestine. He underlined that the strike demonstrated the persistence of the naval blockade against the occupation.

The missile hit inflicted severe damage on the vessel, triggering a fire on board. Nineteen crew members—nationals from the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine—were forced to abandon the ship, while two sailors sustained injuries during the incident. The European naval mission Aspides confirmed that the Minervagracht remains adrift in the Gulf of Aden.

The movement stressed that operations against Israeli-linked maritime traffic will continue in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. The movement also warned shipping companies that any violation of the ban would bring direct consequences.

This was described as the most serious Yemeni attack in the Gulf of Aden since August 2024, extending their campaign beyond the Red Sea, where four vessels have been sunk since November 2023. At least eight sailors have been killed in the ongoing operations, which the group insists are acts of solidarity with the Palestinian people amid Israel’s war on Gaza. (ILKHA)