Yemeni Strike Hits Vessel in Gulf of Aden

By Staff, Agencies

The Yemeni Armed Forces [YAF] announced that their naval forces carried out a military operation targeting the ship MINERVAGRACHT in the Gulf of Aden, striking it with a winged missile that caused a fire on board. According to the military statement, the vessel is now at risk of sinking.

The general cargo ship, MinervaGracht, was reportedly hit approximately 120 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s port city of Aden. 

British maritime security firm Ambrey and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations [UKMTO] both reported that the vessel caught fire following the incident.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the YAF, said the strike was a direct response to the ship’s violation of the decision by its owning company to prohibit entry to the ports of occupied Palestine.

Saree emphasized that the operation came as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people and in response to the crimes of genocide and starvation being committed in Gaza. 

He reaffirmed that such actions demonstrate Yemen’s commitment to prohibiting the "Israeli" occupation’s maritime activity in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

The spokesman stressed that the YAF will continue enforcing the maritime ban across the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, warning all shipping companies of the consequences of ignoring the previously announced restrictions.

The targeting of the MINERVAGRACHT vessel underscores Yemen’s determination to enforce its declared maritime blockade on the "Israeli" occupation’s commercial traffic.

Saree concluded that the YAF — led by Ansarullah — will persist in their military operations until the ongoing aggression ends and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted.