Yemen’s Houthis have released a dramatic video capturing the moment armed members of the Islamist group hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea. The Houthi terrorist organization alleges that the British-owned and Japanese-operated vessel, Galaxy Leader, has ties to Israel.
The Yemeni Military Media published the footage of the armed assault, in which at least seven masked and armed individuals take command of the ship. The terrorists arrive via helicopter, landing on the ship’s top deck, and the video suggests they successfully seize control. Following the takeover, the terrorists celebrate with Islamic chants and are seen hoisting both the Yemeni and Palestinian flags aboard the vessel.
On Monday, Al Masirah, a TV network controlled by the terrorist group, released footage of the hijacking incident. The Iran-backed group, Houthis, seized the Galaxy Leader, a car carrier, on Sunday and took it to a Yemeni port. The Houthis claim the ship is linked to Israel, but Israel has clarified that the seized vessel is British-owned and Japanese-operated. Japanese officials confirmed on Monday that the ship is operated by Tokyo-based firm Nippon Yusen and stated they were actively working to secure its release. The Japanese government is directly engaging with Yemen’s Houthis to address the situation.
Tokyo is actively engaging with Israel and directly communicating with the Houthis regarding the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader, as stated by Yoko Kamikawa, the foreign minister of Japan. Japan strongly condemns the ship’s hijacking and is urging Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, and other concerned countries to press the Houthis for the early release of the vessel and its crew members.
The ship, with over 20 crew members of various nationalities, had been en route from Europe to India without cargo, according to Nippon Yusen. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributes the hijacking to Iran, the backer of the Houthis, clarifying that no Israelis were on board, and Israel was not involved in its ownership or operation.
“This is another Iranian act of terrorism that represents an escalation in Iran’s belligerence against the citizens of the free world, with concomitant international ramifications vis-a-vis the security of global shipping routes,” his office said.
