Doha: The US military said it had carried out a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor in the latest operation targeting alleged narcotics-trafficking boats.

According to Qatar News Agency, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stated that intelligence confirmed the vessel was operating along known drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was involved in narcotics-trafficking activities.

SOUTHCOM reported that "two male narco-terrorists" were killed in the operation and that no US military personnel were harmed. It added that the US Coast Guard had been notified to launch a search-and-rescue mission for the sole survivor.

The strike is part of a series of US military operations targeting suspected drug-running vessels in the eastern Pacific in recent weeks, including a strike on Tuesday that killed three people. Official figures indicate that 58 such strikes have been carried out since September, resulting in 193 deaths and four survivors.

Last Wednesday, the White House announced that US President Donald Trump signed a new counterterrorism strategy prioritizing the dismantling of drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere.