U.S. Navy Commemorates 26th Anniversary of USS Cole Attack
The U.S. Navy honors the 26th anniversary of the 2000 USS Cole bombing, remembering the 17 sailors killed and 40 wounded.
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The U.S. Navy marked the 26th anniversary of the USS Cole bombing, a terrorist attack carried out by al Qaeda that killed 17 sailors and wounded nearly 40 others. The event was commemorated with a statement from Admiral Daryl Caudle, the Chief of Naval Operations, who reflected on the sacrifice and legacy of the victims.
Commemoration and Legacy
Admiral Daryl Caudle, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, observed the day in a statement posted to social media on Monday.
Today, we pause to remember the 17 Sailors who were killed and the 37 who were injured during the terrorist attack on USS Cole (DDG 67) on Oct. 12, 2000. We will never forget their sacrifice and the crew’s bravery as they conducted more than 96 hours of sustained damage control… pic.twitter.com/o6iy4qrdb0
On October 12, 2000, two suicide bombers piloting a small boat laden with explosives pulled alongside the USS Cole, which was ported at Aden, Yemen, for a planned fuel stop while en route to the Arabian Gulf, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
After offering friendly gestures to some of the crew members, they detonated the explosives, blasting a 40-foot-wide hole in the U.S. destroyer, killing 17 U.S. service members and wounding dozens more, the FBI stated.
Upon investigation, the FBI determined that the attack was planned and carried out by al Qaeda terrorist operatives. The bureau further noted that the USS Cole bombing followed an unsuccessful attempt to bomb the USS The Sullivans earlier that same year. However, during that attempt, the terrorist boat sank before the bombs were detonated, but the vessel and the explosives were reused in the Cole attack, the FBI explained.
Two alleged masterminds of the plot, Jamal Muhammad Ahmad Al-Badawi and Fahad Muhammad Ahmad Al-Quso, were killed in separate U.S. airstrikes, the bureau stated. U.S. Central Command confirmed al-Badawi’s death in an air strike on January 1, 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Per the FBI, Abdul Rahim Hussein Muhammed Abdu al-Nashiri, who is allegedly a key figure in the plot, is in U.S. custody, and Abdullah Al-Rimi remains wanted for questioning related to the Cole attack.
The Naval History and Heritage Command published the names of the 17 victims, who ranged in age from 19 to 35 years old.
Source: OANN
