Houthis released footage of Galaxy Leader hijacking

The Hezbollah-run Al-Manar television channel aired footage of the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship.

In the nearly four-minute video, a Palestinian-flagged helicopter lands on board the ship. Masked gunmen descend from the helicopter and begin to capture the crew, which includes Bulgarians. Several smaller boats are seen escorting the ship.

Meanwhile, the ship's owner said today that all communications with him have been lost.

"The merchant ship Galaxy Leader is currently in the Hodeida port area in Yemen. Subsequently, all communications with the ship have been lost," the Isle of Man-registered company Galaxy Maritime Ltd said in a statement.

Israel called the hijacking of the cargo ship "a very serious incident with global implications". According to Tel Aviv, there were no Israeli citizens on board.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the case as "an Iranian attack on an international ship".

"The ship, owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm, was hijacked under Iranian leadership by the Houthi militia in Yemen," the latest statement from his office said. /BGNES