Washington, 18 October (H.S.): The United States military has captured two survivors following an attack on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea alleged to be a drug-carrying submarine from Venezuela. The strike, which occurred on Thursday, is the latest in a series of at least six similar US operations against Venezuelan ships in recent weeks, but it is the first to yield survivors.

On Friday, President Donald Trump confirmed the attack, stating, We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs. He defended the ongoing military campaign, which has reportedly resulted in approximately 27 fatalities to date.

Unnamed US officials told media outlets that the two survivors were rescued by a US military helicopter and are now being held on a US Navy warship. The US government has not officially confirmed the capture. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the targets of these operations as narco-terrorists but declined to comment on the reports of survivors.

The escalating US military actions have drawn sharp criticism. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Trump of attempting to turn his country into an American colony, while Venezuela's UN Ambassador, Samuel Moncada, has urged the UN Security Council to intervene against what he termed massacres. UN-appointed human rights experts have labeled the deadly strikes as extrajudicial executions.

The increased military presence, including about 10,000 US troops in the region and the recent authorization of covert CIA operations in Venezuela, has heightened fears of a broader conflict.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar