LONDON/ATHENS - The Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht is on fire and drifting in the Gulf of Aden after an attack with an explosive device required the helicopter rescue of its 19 crew, the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel's operator said on Monday.

It was not immediately clear whether the attack that injured two sailors was carried out by Yemen's Houthis, who since 2023 have launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea that they deem to be linked with Israel in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war on Gaza.

The vessel's Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said Minervagracht was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it was struck by an unidentified explosive device that inflicted substantial damage and started a fire on the ship.

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The ship was about 128 nautical miles southeast of the port of Aden, Yemen, when the explosion happened.

Rescuers evacuated the vessel's 19 crew, who are Russian, Ukrainian, Filipino, and Sri Lankan. One was wounded and in stable condition and another was seriously injured and being transported to Djibouti, the EU maritime mission Aspides said.

"The MV Minervagracht is on fire and adrift," said Aspides, which added that the vessel had not previously asked for its protection.

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If confirmed, this would be the first attack by the Houthis on a commercial ship since September 1, when they targeted the Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Yanbu.

In July, the Houthis attacked and sank the Magic Seas bulk carrier and Eternity C cargo ship in the Red Sea.

The last significant Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden was on the Singapore-flagged Lobivia container ship in July 2024.

The vessel was previously targeted on September 23 on its way to Djibouti, according to British security firm Ambrey.