US military says it struck vessel in Eastern Pacific, killing two
New Delhi: The U.S. military said on Friday that it carried out a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people, in what it described as an operation targeting “narco-terrorists.”
The U.S. Southern Command alleged that the vessel struck on Friday was operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations” that it did not identify.
It said that no U.S. military forces were harmed. It described those killed as “male narco-terrorists,” without offering details.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the U.S. Southern Command said on X.
A 16 second-long clip released by the Southern Command showed a vessel being struck in the waters.
The strikes are part of an ongoing campaign under President Donald Trump’s administration targeting vessels suspected of transporting illegal drugs. In recent weeks, multiple such operations have been conducted in the region.
Since September, these strikes have reportedly resulted in more than 170 deaths.
Experts and human rights advocates, both in the U.S. and globally, have questioned the legality of the strikes.
Groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the attacks, calling them “unlawful extrajudicial killings.”
The American Civil Liberties Union has also criticised the U.S. government’s claims, describing the justification for targeting these vessels as “unsubstantiated.”
(DD News)
