24 Venezuelan Security Officers Killed In U.S. Military Operation To 'Capture' Maduro

Caracas: At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in a U.S. military operation on Saturday, Venezuela’s military announced, bringing the official death count up to at least 56. Venezuela’s Attorney General, in a separate press conference, said three prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the deaths in what he described as “war crime.”

“I immediately demand the unconditional release of both the citizen President and the First Lady Cilia Flores. I immediately demand the unconditional release of both the citizen President and the first Lady Cilia Flores. This arrest is totally null, a violation of international law, a violation of the international covenant on civil and political rights, a violation of the universal declaration of human rights, and of the United States Constitution itself," Attorney General Tark William Saab said.

The Attorney General said that US' action against Maduro can be legally classified as “international abduction”.

“I also want to point out that the forced removal, the secrecy, the illegitimate deprivation of liberty of the citizen President and Nicolas Maduro and his wife, the First Lady of the Republic, Dr Cilia Flores, inside their own territory to be taken to another county is legally classified as an international abduction and an illegitimate deprivation of liberty," Saab said.

Saab said that the Venezuelan government has appointed three prosecutors to investigate the casualties killed in the American operation.

"We have designed three prosecutors to investigate the dozens of innocent civilians and military casualties that occurred in the midst of this war crime, this unprecedented aggression against the Venezuelan homeland," he added.

The American military operation in Venezuela killed 32 Cuban officers over the weekend, the Cuban government said Sunday in the first official death count provided of the American strikes in the South American nation.

The Cuban military and police officers were on a mission the Caribbean country’s military was carrying out at the request of Venezuela’s government, according to a statement read on Cuban state TV on Sunday night.

Cuba is a close ally of Venezuela’s government and has sent military and police forces to assist in operations for years. Rumors of the deaths circulated on the island over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Tuesday announced seven days of national mourning following the deaths reported during the recent US attack in Caracas and capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduru and his wife, CNN reported.

Speaking to the state broadcaster, Rodriguez said the mourning period was being declared to honour those who lost their lives during the operation, CNN reported.

"I have made the decision to decree seven days of mourning in honour and glory to the young men and women who died, who gave their lives defending Venezuela, defending President Nicolas Maduro," she said. (With AP inputs)

ALSO READ: Venezuela Interim President Delcy Rodriguez Declares Seven Days Of Mourning For Military Killed In US Attack