After a thorough search, the status of two U.S. Navy SEALs who vanished earlier this month during a raid on a vessel transporting Iranian weaponry in the Gulf of Aden has been altered to deceased, according to military authorities on Sunday.
The U.S. Central Command stated on X that the SEALs were declared missing following their takeover of the ship during an operation close to the Somali coast, on January 11.
According to CENTCOM’s announcement, over 21,000 square miles of water were searched as part of a cooperative effort including the US, Spain, and Japan in search of the missing SEALs. According to CENTCOM, the mission has since evolved into a recovery operation.
In response to attacks by the Houthis on merchant ships in the Red Sea that have hampered international trade and sparked concerns about supply shortages, the U.S. has launched a series of strikes against Houthi targets.
According to the U.S. military, U.S. Central Command troops hit a Houthi anti-ship missile on Saturday that was poised for launch and pointed at the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis, who rule over the most populated areas of Yemen, assert that they are aiding the Palestinians in Israel’s conflict in Gaza with their attacks on Israeli-related commercial ships. Notwithstanding the strikes against radar and missile systems last week, the Houthi movement has pledged to continue its attacks.
