US special forces training for potential Taiwan conflict: Report

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - A special US Navy team is training for a possible conflict over Taiwan, a media report claimed on Thursday.

The report stated that it is the same US Navy SEAL Team 6 that “killed Osama bin Laden in 2011” and has been “training for missions to assist Taiwan if it is invaded by China,” according to the Financial Times.

Al-Qaeda leader bin Laden was killed in a night raid in Pakistan.

The Seal Team 6 is the “most elite” force in the US military and the “planning and training” for a Taiwan conflict has been going on for more than a year at the unit's Dam Neck headquarters at Virginia Beach, around 250 kilometers (155.3 miles) southeast of Washington, it added.

Taiwan has emerged as hotspot in Asia-Pacific with the US supplying the island nation with weapons and arms.

China claims Taiwan as its "breakaway province," while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.

The Pentagon has also dispatched special forces to train Taiwanese soldiers much to the chagrin of Beijing.

Beijing has not ruled out to use force to unify Taiwan with the mainland.

Washington’s increased engagements with Taipei has triggered one of the largest military drills by China around Taiwan which regularly flies and sails aircraft and naval vessels around the island nation.

Taipei detected some 29 Chinese aircraft and eight naval vessels and one official ship operating around Taiwan Thursday.

Amid tensions over Taiwan, China and the US have recently resumed military communication.

Last week, People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater commander Gen. Wu Yanan held his first video call with US Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo.

Wu is expected to visit the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii next week to attend a defense conference hosted by Paparo.