United States: US Navy ships and aircraft searched the Gulf of Aden last week for two missing Navy SEALs as facts about their operation to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles bound for Somalia surfaced, according to a US defense official.
Navy Identifies Illicit Cargo En Route to Somalia
According to the official, the crew of the show, which did not carry a country flag, intended to transport missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia. The Navy identified the boat as one that had previously transported illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss specifics that had not been made public.
SEALs Encounter Resistance in Boarding Operation
The SEALs were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary sea base vessel, and arrived at the boat using small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare troops. Around 8 p.m. local time, while boarding in severe seas, one SEAL was thrown off by huge waves, and a teammate jumped in after him. Both are missing.
Successful Seizure and Sinking of Illicit Vessel
The squad aboard the small boat encountered approximately a dozen crew members. The crew members who were detained lacked documentation, allowing for a search of the vessel. The weapons were seized, and the boat was sunk, a regular procedure that often entails blowing open holes in the hull.
According to US authorities, the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm, and Navy SEALs are prepared to handle such circumstances. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters, and drones took part in the ongoing search.
The US Navy has carried out regular interdiction activities in the region, intercepting weapons on ships heading for the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
Ongoing Search Operation in Warm Waters
Officials have stated that the SEAL mission was unrelated to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing US and international mission to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes conducted by the US and UK in Yemen over the last two days.