SANAA, Yemen: Managers of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship renewed appeals on Tuesday for the release of the vessel’s 25 crew members, who have been held by Yemen’s Houthi for seven months.
On November 19, the Houthi assaulted the ship flying the flag of the Bahamas and took 17 Filipinos, as well as sailors from Romania, Mexico, and Ukraine, as well as the Bulgarian shipmaster and top officer.
The ship managers stressed the crew members’ prompt release to their families, stressing that the Houthis stand to lose nothing by holding them.
Since November, the Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden with drones and missiles, claiming support for the Palestinians in the Gaza conflict.
These attacks have resulted in the sinking of one ship, the seizure of another vessel, and the deaths of three seafarers in separate incidents.
The International Chamber of Shipping has condemned the Houthi attacks as “unacceptable acts of aggression” that endanger the lives of innocent seafarers and the safety of merchant shipping.
Recently, Houthis launched direct strikes on the Liberian-flagged Tutor coal carrier and the Palau-flagged Verbena, loaded with wood construction material. These attacks have demonstrated a significant increase in the effectiveness of the militants’ drone and missile capabilities.
Due to the damage, crews from the attacked ships were evacuated for safety reasons, leaving one sailor from the Tutor missing. Both vessels are now adrift and at risk of further attacks or sinking. In response, US and British forces conducted airstrikes on Monday targeting Yemen’s Hodeidah International Airport and Kamaran Island near the port of Salif off the Red Sea.
