U.S. Navy probes whether SEALs involved in death of Green Beret in Mali: officials

[October 30, 2017]    (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy is investigating whether two members of the elite SEAL Team Six may have been involved in the death of an Army Green Beret in Mali in June, defense officials said on Sunday.

The United States has special operations forces stationed in Bamako, Mali's capital, performing training and counterterrorism missions.

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said investigators suspected that Staff Sergeant Logan Melgar did not die from natural causes. Melgar, 34, had served two tours in Afghanistan and was found dead on June 4, the officials said.

The New York Times first reported on Melgar's death, citing unnamed military officials saying his death was caused by strangulation.

Defense officials told Reuters the investigation was looking into whether the Navy SEALs might have played a role in his death.

Attention has turned to U.S. military operations in Africa after four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in neighboring Niger earlier this month.

A representative for the U.S. Africa Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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