U.S. Navy SEALs missing in Somalia during anti-Houthi operations

U.S. Navy SEALs missing in Somalia during anti-Houthi operations

Source: Hiiraan Online, Sunday January 14, 2024

Mogadishu (HOL) – Two U.S. Navy Seals remain missing following an operation off the coast of Somalia, as reported by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). According to sources cited by the Associated Press, these individuals were part of a night mission targeting a suspected arms-carrying vessel, separate from the broader U.S. military operations in the region. During the mission, one Seal was swept overboard, with the other following in a rescue effort. Search and rescue operations are underway, with details withheld for operational security.

In a related context, the U.S. military continues its offensive against Houthi rebels in Yemen, with its stated aim to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea from missile and drone threats. On January 13, U.S. forces struck a Houthi radar site in Yemen, a follow-up to similar actions taken on January 12. These operations, involving the USS Carney and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, are part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a US-led effort to reduce the Houthis’ ability to attack maritime vessels.

Following the U.S. strikes, the Houthis vowed retaliation against American and British forces. They demonstrated their resolve with an attack on January 12, where a missile exploded near an unidentified ship approximately 90 nautical miles south of Aden in the Gulf of Aden. This incident, reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organizations (UKMTO) and later identified by TankerTrackers.com as involving a crude oil tanker, is among the latest in a series of maritime security threats in the region. Other vessels reported encounters with small boats, though no damages or casualties were reported.

The UKMTO has documented seven and eight incidents in 2024, an increase from 24 warnings issued in 2023. CENTCOM has counted 28 attempts by Iranian-backed Houthi militants to attack or harass vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 19, 2023.