The United States has condemned the hijacking by the Yemeni Houthi rebels of a cargo ship with Bulgarians in its crew, Reuters reported.
“The capture of the motor ship Galaxy Leader by the Houthis in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a briefing yesterday. He called for the “immediate release of the ship and its crew”.
“We will consult with our allies and UN partners on the appropriateness of next steps,” added the quoted spokesperson of the US State Department.
The UN also expressed concern over the hijacking of the autocarrier-type cargo ship, BTA adds. “We are following the reports with serious concern,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which said the ship was hijacked by the Houthis on Sunday, said the vessel had a crew of 25 from Ukraine, Bulgaria, Mexico and the Philippines.
There are two Bulgarians on board – the captain and the first assistant captain of the “Galaxy Leader”, the chief secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Zhivko Kotsev, told journalists yesterday.
