The U.S. military on Sunday announced that its search and rescue mission for the two Navy SEALS who went missing during a Jan. 11 operation was over.
“We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The two went missing during an operation to intercept Iranian-made weapons heading to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The SEALs were reported lost earlier this month after taking part in a nighttime operation to board a boat in the international waters of the Arabian Sea, the U.S. military said. In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the waters off the Yemen coastline have become a zone of rising geopolitical tension as the conflict has spread into the wider region, drawing in Washington and Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
During the operation, one of the SEALs fell into the water while trying to climb onto the small boat, known as a dhow, a U.S. defense official said. Another SEAL jumped into the water after him, in line with his training and protocols, the official said. A drone overhead captured footage of the incident.
The Navy took the dhow’s 14 crew members aboard its own vessel and sank the captured boat after concluding it was unsafe. The U.S. military said it seized Iranian-made missile guidance systems and warheads in the operation. A photo released by the U.S. military showed about three-dozen parts, which could be used in the same kinds of missiles the Houthis have used to attack ships in the Red Sea, the U.S. military said. (WSJ)
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The military said Japan and Spain assisted in searching more than 21,000 square miles for the missing SEALs.
“We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example. Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM Commander.
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