Bulgarian sailors return home after being freed by Yemen's Houthis

Galaxy Leader crew members return to Bulgaria

Lubomir Chanev, captain of Bahamas-flagged vessel Galaxy Leader reacts as he arrives at Sofia Airport on a Bulgarian government plane, in Sofia, Bulgaria, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Spasiyana Sergieva

Source: REUTERS

Two Bulgarian sailors and a Romanian crew member returned home after being held for 14 months by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, receiving a warm welcome from their families and officials at Sofia airport on Thursday.

The trio were part of the 25-member international crew of the vessel Galaxy Leader that the Houthis seized off Yemen's Red Sea coast more than a year ago.

They were released on Wednesday and handed to Oman following the three-day-old ceasefire in Gaza's war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV reported.

Captain Lyubomir Chanev and First Officer Danail Veselinov arrived in Sofia aboard a government airplane that was sent to pick them up from Muscat in Oman on the order of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, local media reported.

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This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters