At least 40 killed in US strikes on Venezuela: Report

At least 40 people including civilians and soldiers were killed in the US attack on Caracas early Saturday, according to a senior Venezuelan official who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity, citing early reports.

The strike took place as US Special Operations forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a night-time operation.

President Donald Trump, speaking on Fox News, said no US troops were killed, although some service members may have been injured. General Dan Caine said helicopters extracting Maduro came under fire, and one aircraft was hit but “remained flyable”.

In Catia La Mar, a low-income area near Caracas airport, an airstrike hit a three-storey residential building, destroying an exterior wall.

The blast killed 80-year-old Rosa González and seriously injured another resident, her family told The New York Times. Her nephew, Wilman González, said the explosion happened at around 2 a.m. He showed journalists the point of impact and said he did not know where he would live now.

Residents gathered quietly outside the building. Some prayed, while others expressed anger. A neighbour named Jorge, aged 70, said he lost everything in the strike. Another resident, Javier, blamed what he described as greed connected to Venezuela’s oil fields.

Locals said four men tried to rescue González and took her to hospital by motorbike, but she was declared dead on arrival. Another woman survived but was reported to be in critical condition.