U.S. Navy SEALs killed several North Korean civilians during a secret mission in 2019 that went fatally wrong, according to reporting by The New York Times. The raid, carried out by SEAL Team 6, was authorized by then-President Donald Trump, the paper said.

The operation unfolded in the dark off North Korea’s coast, as the elite unit attempted to slip ashore and plant a listening device aimed at the country’s leadership. Radio silence and blackout conditions left little room for error. Then, civilians — described as shellfish divers and fishermen — stumbled across the commandos as they landed.

What followed was gunfire. Everyone aboard a small fishing vessel was shot dead, the Times reported, without stating how many were killed.

Citing officials with direct knowledge, the paper said SEALs pulled the bodies into the sea to prevent discovery. Members of the team allegedly used knives to puncture lungs so the corpses would sink.

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The account comes from dozens of interviews conducted by the Times with current and former U.S. military personnel, Trump administration officials, and civilian government staff. All spoke anonymously because of the mission’s classified status. Some said they came forward because, in their view, botched special operations are routinely buried by secrecy.

At the time, Washington and Pyongyang were engaged in fragile nuclear talks following Trump’s unprecedented 2018 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The paper reported that Trump personally signed off on the mission during his first term.

Questioned on Friday about the revelations, Trump denied knowledge of the operation.

Africa Today News, New York