WASHINGTON – The 10-day search to rescue two Navy SEALs lost in the Arabian Sea during a mission to board a ship and seize Iranian-made weapons is over and the sailors are now considered deceased, the US military said Sunday.
In a statement, US Central Command said the search has now become a recovery effort. The names of the SEALs have not been released as family notifications continue.
Ships and planes from the United States, Japan and Spain continuously searched more than 21,000 square miles, the military said, with help from the Fleet Oceanography and Numerical Meteorology Center, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command, the University of San Diego – Scripts Institute of Oceanography. and the Office of Naval Research.
“We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors and will always honor their sacrifice and example,” said Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command. “Our prayers are with the SEAL families, friends, the US Navy and the entire Special Operations community during this time.”
According to officials, the Jan. 11 attack targeted an unflagged ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen. Authorities said that as the team boarded the ship, one of the SEALs sank in rough seas and a teammate went in to try to save him.
This undated photo released by the US military’s Central Command shows what is described as the ship carrying Iranian-made missile components bound for Yemen’s Houthis in the Arabian Sea. AP
Components of Iranian-made missiles destined for Yemen’s Houthis were seized from a ship in the Arabian Sea. AP
The commandos had taken off from the USS Lewis B. Puller, a mobile maritime base, and were supported by drones and helicopters. They boarded small special operations combat vessels driven by a naval special warfare crew to reach the ship.
In the raid, they seized a range of Iranian-made weaponry, including ballistic and cruise missile components such as propulsion and guidance devices and warheads, as well as air defense parts, Central Command said.
It marked the latest seizure by the U.S. Navy and its allies of weapons shipments destined for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks that now threaten global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden because of Israel’s war. against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The missile components seized included types likely used in those attacks.
The U.S. Navy ultimately sank the ship carrying the weapons, deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The 14 crew members of the ship were arrested.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn