The US military hit the Israeli ship Galaxy Leader, which was captured by the Yemeni Houthis in November 2023, the rebel-controlled Al Masirah TV channel reported.
The Houthis then captured two Bulgarians - the ship's captain Lyubomir Chanev and his senior assistant Danail Veselinov.
“The American enemy struck twice at the captain's cabin of the captured Israeli ship Galaxy Leader“, the TV channel's sources claim.
On November 19, 2023, when the conflict in the Gaza Strip escalated, the Houthis captured the cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, claiming that it was connected with Israel. The ship was towed to the coast of Yemen, and the crew was detained. Israeli authorities denied that the Galaxy Leader belonged to them. On January 22 of this year, the rebels, in coordination with the Palestinian movement Hamas and with the mediation of Oman, released the ship's crew.
On March 15, the US armed forces, on the orders of President Donald Trump, began carrying out massive strikes on territory in Yemen that is under the control of the Houthis. The operation is aimed at protecting American interests and ensuring freedom of navigation, the US Central Command said. The Houthis have threatened to respond to the escalation. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health of the Houthi government, 53 people have died and at least 98 have been injured as a result of the strikes.
The authorities appointed by the Houthi claim that all those killed are civilians. According to a representative of the agency, five children were killed in the US strikes, and nine children were among the injured.