WASHINGTON: Two US Navy sailors have been reported lacking at sea whereas conducting operations off the coast of Somalia, the US navy mentioned on Friday (Jan 13).
The 2 sailors went lacking on Thursday night, US Central Command mentioned in a quick assertion.
“Search and rescue operations are at present ongoing to find the 2 sailors. For operational safety functions, we is not going to launch extra data till the personnel restoration operation is full,” it mentioned.
The sailors had been “forward-deployed” to the US fifth Fleet space of operations “supporting all kinds of missions”.
The fifth Fleet’s space of operations covers about 2.5 million sq. miles of water and consists of the Gulf, Crimson Sea, Gulf of Oman and elements of the Indian Ocean, in keeping with the navy’s web site.
US forces have lengthy operated in Somalia in coordination with and on behalf of the federal government, principally conducting common aerial strikes to assist official forces combating Al-Shabaab rebels.
Washington has designated Al-Shabaab as a terrorist organisation.
Based on the US Africa Command, Al-Shabaab is “the most important and most kinetically energetic Al-Qaeda community on this planet and has proved each its will and functionality to assault US forces and threaten US safety pursuits”.
