A top US Navy commander strongly denied a serious claim on Thursday. He said the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, never gave an order to "kill them all" during a military operation last month. Admiral Frank Bradley spoke to groups of lawmakers. He said there was never a command to take no prisoners. These claims had started an investigation by both political parties.
The operation happened on September 2nd in the Caribbean Sea. US forces attacked a boat they suspected was carrying drugs. Reports say an air strike happened first. Later, there was another attack. Eleven people died in total. Two of them were survivors from the first strike. This was part of a longer US effort to stop drug smuggling at sea.
Lawmakers became worried after a news report said Secretary Hegseth told forces not to take prisoners. They asked for urgent meetings. In these meetings, they watched video of the attack and heard from Admiral Bradley and another senior general.
After the meetings, some lawmakers agreed the "kill them all" order did not happen. A Republican senator said the Admiral was very clear about this. However, many Democrats were still very concerned. One said it was one of the most troubling things he had seen in his career.
The White House says the operation was legal. But critics want a fuller investigation and the video to be released to the public. They are asking why the military used deadly force instead of police action.
On the same day as the hearings, the US military announced another strike in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people. This shows these operations are continuing. Because of this, the questions about the September incident will likely continue too.