By Naomi Jeremiah

The Venezuelan military announced on Monday that at least 24 security officers were killed during the U.S. military operation to capture the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro. This update brings the official confirmed death count to at least 56 people.

In addition to the Venezuelan casualties, the Cuban government confirmed that 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela also died in the operation. The loss has prompted Cuba to declare two days of national mourning on the island.

Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, addressed the fatalities stating that “dozens” of officials and civilians were killed. He formally characterized the deaths as a “war crime” and announced that state prosecutors would be launching a full investigation.

Saab did not specify whether his estimate of “dozens” referred exclusively to Venezuelan nationals or included the foreign officers previously reported.

While the military and police losses are currently the most documented, AP reporting confirms that more civilians in Venezuela were killed during the strikes. However, the exact number of civilian fatalities remains unclear as the situation on the ground continues to develop.

Source: AP News