Two U.S. Navy SEALs who went missing in the Gulf of Aden earlier this month have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased, military officials said Sunday.
The SEALs were reported missing after boarding an Iranian vessel in a Jan. 11 operation near the coast of Somali, the U.S. Central Command said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
“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,” CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.
The U.S. has carried out a string of strikes against Houthi targets in response to Houthi attacks on merchant ships operating in the Red Sea that have disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply bottlenecks.
U.S. Central Command forces on Saturday struck a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and prepared to launch, the U.S. military said.