Yemen's Houthi rebels hijack India-bound cargo ship using chopper

A cargo ship heading towards India from Turkey, with 25 crew members of different nationalities onboard, has been hijacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, according to reports on Sunday.

The rebels claimed to have seized an Israeli ship, but this was refuted by Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister's office also stated there were no Indians onboard the 'Galaxy Leader'.

The Israeli Defence Forces confirmed the hijacking on social media, describing it as a 'grave incident of global consequence'. They clarified that the ship had left Turkey for India, was manned by civilians of various nationalities, excluding Israelis, and was not an Israeli vessel.

The ship, owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm, was hijacked by the Yemenite Houthi militia, according to a statement from the Israel Prime Minister's office.

In a conflicting report, a Houthi official quoted by news agency AFP claimed they had taken an Israeli cargo ship to the Yemeni coast.

A maritime source in Hodeida, a coastal city, added that the ship had been moved to the port city of Salif. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, stated that the vessel's 25 crew members are of various nationalities, including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino, and Mexican. They confirmed that no Israelis were onboard the ship.

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