Caracas [Venezuela], January 6: At least 40 people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed in a US strike on Venezuela early Saturday, The New York Times reported, citing a senior Venezuelan official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Washington carried out a "large-scale strike against Venezuela", and Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown out of the country.
Earlier, President Donald Trump told Fox News that the operation resulted in only a few injuries and no fatalities on the US side.
He said that it was a complex manoeuvre and hailed the professionalism of the US armed forces.
"It was amazing to see the professionalism, the quality of leadership...To have a few injuries, but no deaths on our side, is really amazing," Trump told Fox News.
"We were surrounded by lots of people, including Generals and they knew everything that was happening. It was extremely complex- the whole manoeuvre -- the landing, number of aircraft, helicopters, different kinds of fighter jets. They just broke in, and into places which were not really able to broke into," he added.
He also said the US wants liberty for the people of the South American country.
Later, Trump, speaking at a press conference from Palm Beach, Florida, said the United States would run the country "until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition".
He said the US action was aimed at bringing "outlaw dictator Nicolas Maduro to justice".
"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition. We want peace, justice and liberty for the great people of Venezuela... We can't take a chance if somebody else takes over Venezuela, doesn't have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind. We're not going to let that happen. We are there now, but we are going to stay until such time as a proper transition takes place. We're going to run it essentially until such time," he said.
Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.
Trump stated that Maduro and his wife have been indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and will face trial.
Source: Times of Oman
