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Watch | Houthi rebels release video of hijacking of 'Galaxy Leader' cargo ship

Watch | Houthi rebels release video of hijacking of 'Galaxy Leader' cargo ship

Hijacked 'Galaxy Leader' ship in Yemen's Hodeidah port area, says owner

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Monday (Nov 20) released a chilling video of the hijacking of the cargo ship 'Galaxy Leader'.

The footage, which showed armed men landing on a ship's deck from a helicopter in the southern Red Sea and seizing it, was released by the movement's TV channel Al Masirah a day after the Iran-backed group seized the ship.

The vessel's owner, as per news agency Reuters, on Monday (Nov 20) said that the cargo ship was "illegally boarded by military personnel via a helicopter" on Sunday, Nov 19 and was at present in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen.

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"All communications were subsequently lost with the vessel," the Isle of Man registered Galaxy Maritime Ltd, owner of the pure car carrier Galaxy Leader, said in a statement.

"The company, as a shipping concern, will not be commenting further on the political or geopolitical situation."

The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader's crew comprises nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, Galaxy Maritime said. The vessel is chartered by Japan's Nippon Yusen.

"Owners and managers believe the seizure of this vessel represents a gross violation of freedom of passage for the world fleet and a serious threat to international trade," Galaxy Maritime said.

It added that the "key concern at this time is the safety and security of the 25 crew members currently being held by the perpetrators of this criminal act".

Earlier, Houthis had threatened to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea. Leader Abdul-Malik al-Huthi said that Houthis were monitoring for Israeli vessels in the commercially vital waters, even those that do not have Israeli flags.

"Our eyes are open to constant monitoring and searching for any Israeli ship," he said in a speech broadcast by the rebels' Al-Masirah TV station.

"The enemy relies on camouflage in its movement in the Red Sea, especially in Bab al-Mandab (strait), and did not dare to raise Israeli flags on its ships... and turned off identification devices," he added.

Netanyahu's office condemns hijacking

Sharing a post on X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office condemned the hijacking of the ship. "This is another act of Iranian terrorism and constitutes a leap forward in Iran's aggression against the citizens of the free world, with international consequences regarding the security of global shipping lanes."

The office also said that onboard the vessel were crews of various nationalities, including Ukrainian, Mexican and Filipino.

(With inputs from agencies)

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