New Delhi, Oct. 23 -- The US military conducted its ninth strike on Wednesday against an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in three deaths, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This action marks an expansion of the US President Donald Trump administration's efforts to combat alleged drug trafficking in South America.

This strike came after another attack on Tuesday night in the same region, which killed two people, Hegseth shared on social media earlier that day. Unlike the previous seven US strikes, which targeted vessels in the Caribbean Sea, these recent attacks took place in the eastern Pacific. Since the attack began last month, the total number of fatalities has reached at least 37.

The st...