Houthi Missile Attack Wounds Two, Sets Dutch Cargo Ship Ablaze Off Yemen

A Dutch-flagged cargo ship, the Minervagracht, was attacked and set ablaze by a missile strike in the Gulf of Aden, resulting in injuries to two crew members and forcing the evacuation of all 19 crew. The attack, attributed by European and French military sources to Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, marks a significant escalation of the group's campaign targeting commercial vessels beyond the Red Sea. The Houthis have launched over 100 missile and drone attacks on shipping since 2023, often claiming such actions as solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war, despite many ships having no ties to Israel. The Minervagracht had been previously targeted unsuccessfully on September 23, highlighting a pattern of repeated assaults on this vessel. The incident underscores growing threats to maritime security in the Gulf of Aden, a critical international shipping route, with European naval forces monitoring the situation closely. The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for this latest attack, continuing a pattern of delayed acknowledgment of their operations.