US Airstrike in Pacific Kills Two, Third Attack This Month
Al Jazeera Staff
A US military strike in the eastern Pacific killed two people and left one survivor, marking the third such attack this month. SOUTHCOM claims the vessel was involved in drug trafficking, but human rights groups call the strikes extrajudicial executions.
The US military conducted a fresh attack on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor. The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday, releasing video footage showing a small boat hit by a missile and engulfed in flames.
SOUTHCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Caribbean and Latin America, said the vessel belonged to “designated terrorist organizations” but provided no specific evidence. “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and engaged in narcotrafficking activities,” the statement read. The attack caused no casualties among US personnel.
This is the third such strike in May. A few days earlier, the US military reported a similar attack that killed three people. Since Washington launched its campaign in September last year targeting alleged drug criminals, more than 170 people have been killed, though estimates vary.
Human rights organizations and international legal experts have labeled these strikes “extrajudicial executions.” Many parties are calling for the US to be held accountable. Experts argue that even if those on board were involved in drug trafficking, they should face legal proceedings rather than lethal attacks.
Residents in Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago have spoken out after previous attacks, insisting that those targeted were not “drug terrorists” as claimed by US authorities, but rather fishermen and informal workers making routine trips between the Caribbean and South America.
