Two U.S. Navy SEALs missing in operation near Somalia: U.S. military

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. Navy SEALs were missing in a recent operation by the U.S. military near the coast of Somalia to seize what it said were Iranian weapon components being supplied to the Houthi militant group in Yemen, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday.

The two Navy SEALs were part of the CENTCOM Navy forces' nighttime operation on Jan. 11 to seize "a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis' ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping," the command said in a press release.

Those seized were "Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components," the release said, adding that "initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea."

CENTCOM Commander Michael Kurilla said an exhaustive search was underway to find the two missing Navy SEALs.

The dhow was deemed unsafe and sunk by the U.S. Navy forces, the release said. "Disposition of the 14 dhow crewmembers is being determined in accordance with international law," it added.