ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Dutch-flagged cargo ship was struck by a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi group while sailing in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, leaving two crew members injured, a government official told Xinhua.
An official with the government's Coast Guard forces, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the vessel as Minervagracht and said it came under attack around 2:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) while transiting the international shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen.
He confirmed that at least one missile directly hit the ship, sparking a fire on board and wounding two of the 19-member crew. The injured sailors were in need of urgent medical evacuation, he added.
The crew was forced to abandon the vessel after the strike because of extensive damage and a spreading fire, the official said. A distress signal was sent, and maritime authorities are assessing the situation.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the incident.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said earlier on Monday that it received a report of an incident involving a merchant vessel about 128 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's Aden.
In an initial statement posted on social media platform X, UKMTO said the ship's master witnessed a splash and smoke in the distance, astern of the vessel. It later said in an updated statement that military authorities confirmed the ship was "hit by an unknown projectile" and was "on fire."
Earlier in the day, residents in central Yemen's Al Bayda province reported that the Houthis launched a missile from mountainous positions toward the Arabian Sea.
The Gulf of Aden forms part of a vital maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. In recent months, the waterway and the neighboring Red Sea have witnessed repeated attacks on commercial shipping, attributed to the Houthis, who say their operations are intended to pressure Israel and its allies in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict. ■
