Seven members of the secretive U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6, including one involved in the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, have been punished for disclosing classified information, senior navy officials said Thursday

Four other SEALs are under investigation for similar alleged violations, one official said.

They are alleged to have divulged classified information to the maker of a video game.

Each of the seven received a punitive letter of reprimand and a partial forfeiture of pay for two months. Those actions generally hinder a military member's career.

The deputy commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Admiral Garry Bonelli, issued a statement acknowledging that nonjudicial punishments had been handed out for misconduct, but he did not offer any details.

"We do not tolerate deviations from the policies that govern who we are and what we do as sailors in the United States navy," Bonelli said. He alluded to the importance of honouring nondisclosure agreements that SEALs sign.

He said the punishments this week "send a clear message throughout our force that we are and will be held to a high standard of accountability."

The punishments were first reported by CBS News.