The U.S. military has declared that two missing U.S. Navy SEALs swept into the sea during a January 11 operation are now presumed dead. The incident took place off the coast of Somalia, where the SEALs were engaged in operations to seize Iranian-made weapons bound for the Houthis in Yemen.
The first SEAL was caught in turbulent seas during a night-time boarding of a boat where the weapons were discovered; the second SEAL jumped into the water to attempt a rescue, following protocol. Despite a substantial 10-day search over an expansive 21,000 square mile area by U.S., Japanese, and Spanish air and naval units assisted by oceanographers and meteorologists, the SEALs remain missing.
“We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command (Centcom). U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin — who was hospitalized at the time of the mission — expressed condolences to the families of the “two brave Navy SEALs,” adding that “we are grateful to all who worked tirelessly to try to find and rescue them.”
The operation in which the two missing SEALs took part resulted in the seizure of warheads for Houthi medium-range ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, and parts for air defense systems. Initial analysis indicated the components were for missiles recently used by the Iran-backed Houthis to target shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis control Yemen’s north, its capital, Sanaa, and the Red Sea coastline.
