Seven US Navy personnel have reportedly been killed and several others wounded in a violent clash aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, as growing unrest among the carrier’s crew has exposed mounting pressure inside the US military amid a prolonged deployment.
The incident erupted after an adviser to US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Brad Cooper boarded the carrier to address mounting complaints from crew members following protests by their families over the ship’s prolonged deployment, according to Tasnim News Agency, citing an informed military source.
The adviser was reportedly met with boos and had water bottles thrown at him while addressing a gathering of personnel.
The confrontation subsequently escalated into a fight among crew members involving knives and other bladed weapons, leaving seven personnel dead and several others wounded, according to the source.
The atmosphere aboard the carrier remains tense and unsettled, Tasnim reported.
The Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for 263 days and is currently operating in the Indian Ocean, where its primary mission is to enforce an illegal naval blockade against Iran.
The carrier has spent 208 consecutive days at sea, the longest continuous deployment of any US aircraft carrier in the modern era, apart from a brief stop in Oman in July.
MNA
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