A CV-22 Osprey was in the process of landing to insert a Spec Ops team when the aircraft came under heavy small arms fire. The landing was immediately aborted, but not before enemy forces shot into the rear crew section of the plane, wounding at least four of the Special Ops troops prepping for insertion. At least four service members sustained injuries, and SOFREP has confirmed that one of  the injured was a west coast-based SEAL from SEAL Team 3.

Initial reports have said all of the injured were SEALs. SOFREP has confirmed as of 2230 ET that the four were all SEALs. We’ve also heard that one of the other injured members on the team took a direct hit to his femoral artery, and almost died during the flight. He is alive because of the quick response of the aircrew, and their decision to fly directly to Kenya where a surgical team was waiting to treat the wounded. All of the injured are apparently in stable condition, and awaiting transfer to Germany.

We’ll have more as this develops, however, you can read one of the initial reports by Military Times below.

As Reported by Military Times

Three of the four U.S. troops injured Saturday when their CV-22 Ospreys were hit with small-arms fire in South Sudan are expected to be transferred Monday to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, a Pentagon spokesman said.

Army Col. Steve Warren said all four service members received gunshot wounds to their lower extremities.

The wounded were initially treated by U.S. critical care air transport teams in Nairobi, Kenya, Warren said Monday. One is not yet prepared to make the trip to Germany but will be transferred when his condition improves, Warren said.

A senior Defense Department official, speaking on background, said the wounded service members are in the Navy, but could not say if they were special operations troops. The Associated Press, however, is reporting all four of the injured troops are Navy SEALS.

Three CV-22s, the Air Force Special Operations variant of the tilt-rotor aircraft, were hit with small-arms fire while approaching a site to evacuate U.S. personnel in the South Sudanese capital of Bor. The aircraft aborted their mission and diverted to an airfield outside the country, the Pentagon said.

The State Department said Sunday that four chartered flights and five military aircraft were able to evacuate about 380 U.S. officials and more than 300 citizens of other countries to Nairobi and other countries.

Read more here.

(Featured Image: CV-22 Courtesy USAF)