India, Sept. 24 -- Eight sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a stretch that overlapped with the group's combat operations against Iran.

A letter obtained by global news agencies such as AFP and CNN from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao revealed the data in written responses to questions posed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand about the morale and mental health of the USS Abraham Lincoln's crew.

Cao said no service members had killed themselves during the deployment.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed in the Middle East for more than 260 days, supporting US combat operations against Iran, and has set a modern US Navy record for the longest uninterrupted time at sea without a port visit, accor...