The US Navy has concluded a 10-day search and rescue operation for two members of the elite Navy SEALs force who disappeared off Somalia’s coast on January 11 while attempting to intercept a dhow reportedly carrying weapons.
The incident occurred as the SEALs were boarding the dhow, with one falling into the rough night-time waters, prompting the second SEAL to jump in for a rescue attempt. Unfortunately, neither of them resurfaced.
After an exhaustive 10-day search covering more than 21,000 square miles in the Gulf of Aden, the US Central Command announced on Sunday that the two missing Navy SEALs are presumed deceased. Recovery operations are now being conducted.
Japanese and Spanish forces had joined the search effort, utilising ships and aircraft to scour the area. The SEALs were part of a naval unit engaged in intercepting weapons and combating illegal shipments in the region, unrelated to the ongoing operation to protect vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group.