Moment Yemen’s Houthis used chopper to hijack India-bound ship in Red Sea

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen released a video on Monday showing armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.

The footage shows a helicopter landing on the vehicle carrier named the Galaxy Leader, with several gunmen getting off and taking control of the ship.

Later in the video, Houthi gunmen can be seen holding the international crew at gunpoint.

The Iran-backed group said the ship was linked to Israel. Israel, however, said the seized ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated.

“The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence. The ship departed Turkey on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote on X.