Israel bombs hijacked Brit ship Galaxy Leader seized by Houthis in devastating wave of airstrikes against terror group

Scottish Sun

5 days ago

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ISRAEL has bombed the hijacked Brit ship Galaxy Leader seized by Houthis in devastating wave of airstrikes.
The car carrier was snatched by the terror group when crack troops swooped onto it with a helicopter in November 2023.
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Israel has bombed the hijacked Brit ship Galaxy Leader
Credit: AP
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Houthi followers hold a cutout banner portraying the Galaxy Leader cargo ship which was seized by Houthis
Credit: Reuters
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An Israeli fighter jet getting prepared for airstrikes targeting Yemen
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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The Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar.
The militants had celebrated its capture as a war trophy - with Yemeni influencers visiting the vessel to show it off.
The brutal attack on Sunday night involved around a whopping 50 missiles and bombs, according to the IDF.
The Force added the attack was in response to relentless Houthi attacks on Israel.
The IDF said: "The Houthi terrorist regime's forces installed a radar system on the ship, and are using it to track vessels in international maritime space in order to promote the Houthi terrorist regime's activities."
The strikes were also said to have hit the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, alongside the Ras Qantib power plant on the coast.
A mere few hours later, two retaliation missiles were launched from Yemen, Israel said.
Attempts were made to intercept them but the results were still under review.
The Houthi group has continued to fire ballistic missiles at Israel since the tense ceasefire with Iran was reached.
But the firing attempts are - most of the time - blasted singly, meaning Israel's Iron Dome is usually able to down them.
Trump boasts 'Oops, there will be no attack' after US bombs Houthi terror soldiers 'preparing to fight' in drone strike
In October, Houthi rebels forced hostages on board a hijacked British cargo ship to party on live TV as new satellite images reveal the vessel's movements.
Footage shared on Yemen TV channels shows the captives watching a traditional knife dance as the guests of honour on the ship where they are being held hostage.
Exclusive images provided to The Sun also showed the boat being brought back and forth from the shore by the Houthis.
Satellite pics taken by company Maxar show the ship tied with its back to shore last April.
The condition of the crew is dire as they face 'significant health issues" including malaria, a report claims.
Most of the crew are from the Philippines, with three from Ukraine, two each from Bulgaria and Mexico, and one from Romania.
The Houthis have sought to portray themselves as treating the hostages generously and have welcomed visits from the Red Cross and a top naval commander.
But Filipino diplomatic sources have previously said they do not expect the captives to be released until Israel's war in Gaza is over.
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Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea
Credit: Reuters
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The Galaxy Leader was covered in Green lights for the celebration
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The crew was shown on local TV sitting on the boat watching a performance
Credit: Twitter
For about a dollar per trip, male-only groups of visitors can board wooden boats five times a week to marvel at the hijacked carrier.
The Houthis, designated a "global terrorist" group by Washington, have previously draped it in Yemeni and Palestinian flags and anti-American and anti-Israeli banners.
They have continued their campaign to disrupt trade in the Red Sea for almost a year now.
Footage from earlier this month shows them sending an explosive-laden drone at a British oil tanker.
They shared the clip of a big explosion near the side of the Cordelia Moon, which damaged its port side tank and covered it in clouds of smoke.
Around 12 per cent of all global trade normally passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the now-under-attack 20-mile-wide stretch of the Red Sea also known as the "Gate of Tears".