Aden – A Dutch-flagged cargo vessel, MV Minervagracht, was left adrift and ablaze in the Gulf of Aden following a suspected missile attack that injured two crew members and forced an emergency evacuation, according to the ship’s operator and the EU maritime mission Aspides. The incident occurred approximately 128 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen, while the vessel was en route from Djibouti to Mumbai without cargo. The Amsterdam-based operator, Spliethoff, confirmed that the ship sustained significant damage after being struck by an explosive device. If confirmed, this would mark the first Houthi strike on a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden since early September. The EU naval mission noted that Minervagracht had not requested protection prior to the incident.