Crew member dies after Houthi attack on Dutch cargo ship in Gulf of Aden

A crew member has died from injuries sustained during a Houthi attack on a Dutch cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, as Iran-backed rebels step up their campaign against international targets and arrest United Nations workers in Yemen.

The Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines confirmed that the victim was a Filipino national aboard the Minervagracht, a vessel operated by Amsterdam-based Spliethoff. The ship was struck by an explosive device while sailing in international waters, sparking a fire that forced the evacuation of 19 crew members of Russian, Ukrainian, Filipino and Sri Lankan nationalities. They were rescued by helicopter and transported to safety, the company said.

The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that the ship had “violated the ban on entry into the ports of occupied Palestine.” The group has repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming its attacks were acts of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza.

But the strike on the Minervagracht was the first major attack in the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, since July 2024.

HEGSETH ISSUES SHARP WARNING TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS FOLLOWING US MILITARY STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN SHIP

Houthi fighters march on British and American flags during a rally in support of the Palestinians and recent Houthi strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

And the attack on the Minervagracht marked the first Houthi assault on a commercial vessel since the September 1 attack on the Israeli oil tanker Scarlet Ray, near the Saudi port city of Yanbu.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said 10 of its staff – all Yemeni nationals – were arrested this week in areas controlled by the Houthis. They were working to provide humanitarian aid in one of the poorest and most war-torn countries.

According to the UN, a total of 54 personnel have been detained by the Houthis since 2021 as the rebels intensify their crackdown on international humanitarian organizations. The Houthis have previously accused the detained aid workers of being part of a “spy network”, a claim the UN and human rights groups have strongly denied.

ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE AGAINST HOUTHIS IN YEMEN, SECOND TIME THIS WEEK

A boy holds a toy gun as protesters, mainly supporters of the Houthis, attend a pro-Palestinian rally a day after Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, September 26, 2025. (Khaled Abdallah/Reuters)

The detentions come as Yemen’s civil war, now in its tenth year, continues to fragment the country and complicate aid delivery, with more than two-thirds of the population dependent on humanitarian aid.

The attacks come after Washington agreed to a ceasefire with the Houthis in May, raising questions about whether it will hold.

The Houthis “say they won’t blow up any more ships,” President Donald Trump said May 6 in announcing the ceasefire.

In July, the Houthis attacked the Greek commercial ship Magic Seas and the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C.

The Houthis have been attacking international shipping in the Red Sea, like this sinking British cargo ship, since 2023. (Al-Joumhouriah Channel via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Between December 2023 and February 2024, Houthi attacks caused a 90% drop in global container shipping through the Red Sea, according to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.

The Houthis did not violate the ceasefire provision prohibiting attacks on U.S. ships, but did violate the agreement’s clause requiring “smooth international commercial shipping.”