Two Navy SEALs Declared “Deceased” After 10-Day Search at Sea
Washington: The US military announced on Sunday that two Navy SEALs who went missing during an operation to seize Iranian weapons intended for Yemen’s Huthi rebels have been declared dead. The exhaustive 10-day search failed to locate the missing SEALs, according to the Central Command (CENTCOM).
Earlier, CENTCOM had confirmed that the two SEALs were involved in a January 11 operation where they boarded a dhow off the coast of Somalia and successfully confiscated missile components manufactured in Iran. However, their return was not accounted for, leading to the extensive search.
“We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing US Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased,” stated CENTCOM. The military further added that recovery operations are now underway.
CENTCOM described the seizure of Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons as a significant achievement, as it marks the first successful capture of such weapons since the Huthis began targeting merchant ships in November 2023. The rebel group had been attacking vessels in the Red Sea, claiming their alleged connection to Israel and their support for Palestinians in Gaza.
In response to the Huthi attacks, the United States and Britain conducted strikes on numerous rebel targets, and American forces have subsequently destroyed several missiles that posed a threat to both military and civilian ships.
Despite these countermeasures, the Huthis have persisted with their attacks on ships. The ongoing assaults have disrupted trade routes, causing a significant amount of shipping to be diverted thousands of miles around Africa. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the entrance to the Red Sea between southwest Yemen and Djibouti, normally facilitates around 12 percent of global trade.
(Note: Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Disclaimer: Only the headline and content of this report may have been reworked by Newsearay, staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. The Article was originally published on Source link
