Two US Navy sailors missing off the coast of Somalia
The U.S. military announced Friday that two U.S. Navy sailors were lost at sea while conducting an operation off the coast of Somalia.
Two sailors went missing Thursday night, U.S. Central Command said in a brief statement.
“Search and rescue operations are currently underway to locate the two sailors. To ensure operational security, we will not release additional information until the personnel recovery operation is complete.”
Sailors were “forward deployed” to the U.S. 5th Fleet's area of operations and “supported a wide range of missions.”
The 5th Fleet's area of operations covers approximately 2.5 million square miles of ocean and includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean, according to the military's website.
The U.S. military has long worked with and on behalf of Somalia's government, conducting regular airstrikes primarily to support official forces fighting the extremist al-Shabab rebel group.
Washington has designated al-Shabaab as a terrorist organization.
According to U.S. Africa Command, al-Shabaab is “the largest and most active al-Qaeda network in the world, with both the will and ability to attack U.S. forces and threaten U.S. security interests.” It has been proven.”
Source: guardian.ng