Two U.S. Navy SEALs are reportedly missing off the coast of Somalia. A major newspaper referenced current and former U.S. officials familiar with the situation, noting the inquiry was conducted with anonymity to protect ongoing investigations [Source attribution: Washington Post].
According to those sources, on January 11, two American sailors slipped into the water while attempting to board a vessel in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia. Reportedly, one of the sailors was preparing to go ashore in rough seas when he lost his footing and fell from the ramp. The publication notes that neither individual has been identified publicly and there is little information available about the ship involved [Source attribution: Washington Post].
The outlet adds that the Pentagon is engaged in a search and rescue operation to locate the missing service members and provide aid as needed [Source attribution: Washington Post].
One confidant indicated that the incident appears unrelated to recent U.S. and U.K. strikes in Yemen, to the multinational Operation Prosperity Sentinel aimed at securing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, or to the recent seizure of a tanker flagged by the Marshall Islands [Source attribution: Washington Post].
Earlier, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that two U.S. Navy personnel conducting operations off the coast of Somalia were declared missing at sea [Source attribution: CENTCOM].
Earlier reports had suggested Yemeni Houthi forces attacked a U.S. Navy vessel in the Red Sea, but those claims were not confirmed at the time of reporting [Source attribution: Washington Post].